Stars Above
by BHS
Summary: Two very different worlds collide: the world of ordinary high-school girl Kagami Hiiragi and the world of Puella Magi Homura Akemi. An impossible friendship begins to form between them, but will the demons of Homura's past ever let them be anything more than simply friends? Kagami/Homura, Tsukasa/Miyuki. Rated M: violence, yuri shipping, sexual themes, disturbing imagery.
1. Chapter 1: The End of Everything

**STARS ABOVE**

By BHS and Forzare

A _Lucky Star_/_Puella Magi Madoka Magica_ crossover

Cover by Hikari-Luv (remove spaces): fav .me /d4w1y0y

Note: We do not own the LS or PMMM characters or settings, and made no profit from this work.

This story takes place at around the same time as the beginning of the Lucky Star anime, at the start of the cast's eleventh-grade year.

**PROLOGUE**

_So that's them…_

_ Yes, there's no question about it… they're exactly as Nico's information described. You can feel it too, can't you? The power they possess is incredible… and yet it's completely different than anything we've seen before._

_ I know._

_ With that much potential energy in one place, they're certain to be targeted._

_ We'll stop that from happening, no matter what it takes. I won't let it happen again._

_ You really have learned from your mistakes, haven't you?_

_ It doesn't matter. That's all in the past._

_ So you claim._

_ Now, one last time before we begin… give me your word that you won't offer to make contracts with them._

_ Absolutely not. It's out of the question. If either of them became Puellae Magi… it would mean the end of everything._

**CHAPTER 1: The End of Everything**

**2007**

**Ryouou High**

"… and it really stinks, doesn't it?"

"Oh, you're right, it's horrible!"

"I bet it smells worse than Kagamin's burnt cookies!"

"Sh-shut up! I'm getting better at making them, you know!"

"You just keep telling yourself that, Kagamin. Meanwhile, try putting some _sugar_ in the dough next time…"

"Why you…!"

Four friends sat around a lunch room table, laughing and trading verbal barbs with one another. The speaker, a girl with twin violet pigtails and sharp blue eyes, was currently threatening to bludgeon the girl to her left with her empty bento box.

That girl, laughing hysterically while attempting to dodge out of the way, was astonishingly short for her age, looking more like a grade-schooler. A long curtain of blue hair extended almost to her feet, and she had an odd, almost catlike smile.

"_Onee-chan_, calm down… people are gonna start staring!" On the pigtailed girl's right, her sister tugged at her arm, her voice quavering. Her hair was the same violet color, but she wore hers short, with a yellow ribbon tied in a bow. She seemed altogether softer and gentler than her sister; it was hard to believe they were related at all, let alone twins.

"Kagami-san, you _have_ been using sugar, haven't you?" The last occupant of the table sat in a very proper manner as she dabbed at her face with a handkerchief. She was slim and generously figured, her large round glasses magnifying her purple eyes. Her hair was pink and long, though far less so than that of her friends. She spoke in a formal dialect that was totally unnecessary for this group, but somehow that made her charming.

"Of course I have, Miyuki!" Kagami Hiiragi flushed bright red; the color could have almost spread to the tips of her pigtails. "I just… have trouble with the measurements, that's all…"

"It doesn't make any sense, Kagamin!" said Konata Izumi, having successfully evaded the bento box. "How can you be so awesome at everything else, but suck at cooking? _Ouch!_"

Apparently, she had let her guard down too soon. Kagami shoved the empty box back into her bag and stood up, brushing one of her twintails back. "Anyway, I should get going… Sakuraba-_sensei_ hates people being tardy."

"We'll see you later, _onee-chan!_" Tsukasa Hiiragi waved goodbye, her smile as innocent as a child's.

Miyuki Takara nodded. "Goodbye, Kagami-san. I hope your class goes well."

"Yeah, yeah," said Konata, rubbing the growing lump on the top of her head. "Go make good grades and stuff…"

Kagami said her goodbyes and walked out of the lunchroom, unaware that she was being watched.

* * *

><p><em>It's so unfair.<em> Kagami took the route to her classroom as if on autopilot, letting her thoughts wander. _I don't understand why Kuroi-_sensei_ won't put me in Class E with the others. What does she have against me?_

Up the stairs, down a hall, turn right and wait for the line of seniors to pass. It was all routine.

_I think I'm gaining weight again. Maybe I should lay off the pocky for a while._

The seniors dispersed. Kagami continued on her way, her shoes making clacking noises against the polished floor.

_That Konata… she always pigs out whenever I make food, but she has the nerve to insult my cooking afterward. I should make cookies filled with wasabi or something, just to show her… No, no, that's much too mean._

As she put her hand on the door, she stopped. The fine hairs were rising on the back of her neck. Kagami was never one for being paranoid, but she had the strangest feeling that someone was staring at her… that prickling sensation was unmistakable. She turned on her heel and shot a glare at the offender… but there was no one there. The hall was almost empty. "Hello?" Her voice echoed weirdly in the silence. She stood there for a moment longer, then sighed with disgust at herself for thinking about such foolish things as being stared at. It was probably just some boy, one who was too shy to talk to her, or something like that. There were far more important matters to attend to, weren't there?

Into Class 2-A she went. Misao and Ayano were already there. Misao Kusakabe was, to put it bluntly, an idiot. She had the body of a typical teenager, but the mind of a five-year-old, if that. Kagami never failed to be amazed at how Misao could amuse herself with stupid things like making juice straw "pocky"… it was a wonder that Ayano could put up with her. Ayano Minegeshi was everything Misao wasn't: soft-spoken, patient, polite, feminine, and an overachiever. She seemed to have a full-time job as Misao's caretaker, which tested even her indomitable patience to its limits. Misao and Ayano… they were rather like a real-life _boke _and _tsukkomi_ routine, Kagami thought.

"… an' the bear is all like, '_Roar!'_, an' all of a sudden the guy's gun jams. He takes off runnin', with the bear right behind him, right?" The brown-haired girl was obviously deep into a story that she found fascinating.

To Ayano's credit, it was impossible to tell if she was faking enthusiasm or not. "Yes, yes, and then what?"

"What's Kusakabe going on about this time?" Kagami asked as she slid into her seat.

Ayano smiled. "I think it's supposed to be a joke, but I'm not sure."

"… so the guy's like, 'Crap!' as he tries to run faster, an' the bear's right behind him…" Misao blathered on, oblivious. It was clearly a joke; she was already starting to giggle as she got closer to the punch line. "… an' all of a sudden he trips, an' drops his gun, an' breaks both legs, an'-"

"Kusakabe, that's enough. We're about to start." Hikaru Sakuraba stood at the front of the class. She was shorter than any of her students, almost like a long-lost relative of Konata, but she made up for it with a blunt manner and a glare that could melt steel.

"_Va~!_" Misao nearly fell out of her chair. She scrambled into a more dignified position and tried her best to look attentive, grinning so widely that her one snaggletooth was visible.

_Thank you, Sakuraba-_sensei, Kagami thought to herself with a mental sigh of relief. Misao's sense of humor tended toward the bizarre, and it looked as if that joke was heading in a decidedly violent direction.

"That's better. All right, now before we start the next period, we have a new transfer student."

"Oh my," said Ayano quietly. "A transfer this early in the term? That's unusual, isn't it?"

"Huh," said Kagami with a small frown. As class rep, she expected that she would have heard about this sooner.

"Could you come in, please?" said Sakuraba-_sensei_, turning to the door.

The girl that walked into Class 2-A instantly caught the eyes of the boys… and quite a few of the girls as well, Kagami noted. She was tall and willowy, pale, with long black hair adorned only with a red ribbon that looked oddly out of place. The girl wore long, dark stockings with her Ryouou High uniform; not necessary, especially in the warm weather, but somehow they added to her mystique. Her face… Kagami couldn't help but notice how cold she looked, her violet eyes stared straight ahead with no emotion whatsoever… almost like a statue. As the girl came to the front of the class, she spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper, yet it carried from one end of the classroom to the other. Not a soul misheard her.

"My name is Homura Akemi," she said. "I am happy to join you." She bowed to the accompaniment of total silence. There wasn't the slightest hint of happiness in her tone… or anything else, for that matter; her words were as indifferent and impersonal as if she were speaking to a wall. She wrote her name on the blackboard, then turned back around to the class.

"Well, I expect you all to make Akemi feel welcome," said Sakuraba-_sensei_. Her voice broke the spell and set most of the class to whispering with one another. For her part, she chose to ignore it. "Now then, Akemi, I believe there's a seat next to Hoji in the fifth row…"

"I see it," said Homura. She walked briskly down the aisle…

… and as she passed, she stared right at Kagami, just for an instant. Though her face never changed, those cold violet eyes bored into her like some great drill, making her shiver all over. An eternity seemed to pass between one of her steps and the next…

… and then she was gone. She placed her bag next to her desk and sat down without another word.

Kagami felt shaken… like the world was still spinning, but she and her desk had stopped moving along with it. There was no question about it, the new girl had stared right at her, for no reason she could fathom, with _something_ going on behind her violet eyes and statue-like face, but exactly _what_ was impossible to tell.

Now she was seated behind Kagami, calmly taking notes as Sakuraba-_sensei_ began their biology lesson, as if she had always been there. The rest of the class had swiftly forgotten this new distraction and were returning to their books. Clearly, there would be time to interrogate the new girl later. No one else had noticed anything odd between them…

Kagami sat in a daze. It was a minute or two before she picked up her pen and mechanically began to take notes. That odd prickling sensation swept over her again. Someone _was_ watching her…

**END OF CHAPTER 1**


	2. Chapter 2: You Should Stay Away from Me

**CHAPTER 2: You Should Stay Away From Me**

**2007**

**Ryouou High**

Homura Akemi was mobbed the moment the next break started. Kagami watched as a crowd gathered around the new girl's desk, all clamoring at once and asking her questions. So much was to be expected… a new student was always an event.

For her part, Akemi seemed to answer even the most inane questions cordially, though she still never changed her expression or raised her voice above a monotone: "Yes," she said, "I moved here from a city called Mitakihara." "I've been homeschooled until recently due to illness." "No, I don't want to join the computer club, thank you."

Kagami waited until the mob had cleared, then stood up and walked over to make her own introduction. She was determined to be friendly, despite still feeling rattled by that cold stare from earlier… "Excuse me, Akemi-san?"

Akemi didn't answer. She merely sat and stared out the window, her face still set like stone.

"I'm Kagami Hiiragi, the class rep," said Kagami as she bowed, intent on getting through this. "If you have any questions about the course work, or need directions around the school…"

"Thank you, Hiiragi-san. I'm fine." That was all she said; she didn't even look up.

Well, wasn't this like trying to talk to a wall. Kagami felt her temper begin to rise, but she fought to keep it under control. "I heard you mention you were sick. Do you want me to take you by the nurse's office, so you'll know where it is?"

"No."

Kagami twitched. What was _with_ this girl? "Look, Akemi, I just want to-"

Her head turned so suddenly that Kagami stopped in mid-sentence. Akemi stared at her once more with that soul-piercing glare, freezing her to the spot. "Hiiragi-san," she whispered. "you should stay away from me."

The seconds ticked past. Neither of them moved.

Kagami swallowed and tried to speak, but her mouth had gone dry. "I… I don't understand-"

"Stay away from me," she repeated. Then she turned back to the window and said nothing further.

Kagami ran back to her seat as fast as her feet would take her. Goose bumps had broken out all over her arms.

* * *

><p>By the end of the day, word of the mysterious new student had spread throughout Ryouou High. She never said an unnecessary word to anyone… due to a broken heart, so the gossip claimed. She set a new school record for the hundred-meter dash in Phys Ed, but flatly refused the track coach's offer of a spot on the team. In computer class, she managed to do something with her programming assignment that the astonished teacher could not even explain, much less recreate.<p>

Naturally, Konata brought the subject up the moment Kagami saw her again. "Isn't this great, Kagamin?" she said as they left the school grounds after their last class. She was smiling that cat-like smile of hers again. "She's like Nagato from _Haruhi Suzumiya_ mixed with Koizumi… a mysterious new transfer student with no emotions… I wonder if she's an alien?"

"Must you compare _everything_ to anime?" Kagami grumbled, rubbing her arms. "Besides, you wouldn't be so thrilled with her if you had actually met her. She seems pretty rude to me."

"You spoke with her, _onee-chan?_" said Tsukasa, walking next to her.

"I had to. At least I _tried_," said Kagami. "All she said was 'Stay away from me', whatever that's supposed to mean."

"She probably just picked up on all that rage you've got bottled up inside you, Kagamin. Maybe she doesn't like the _tsundere_ type."

"Oh, shut up." In truth, despite making a show of being annoyed, Kagami couldn't identify her real feelings just yet. The looks Akemi gave her spooked her more than she would ever dare admit, but she still had no idea _why_. She was just a transfer student, for God's sake, and as class rep she was used to being glared at… so what was it about Akemi that made her hair stand on end?

"You see?" Konata was saying, leaning entirely too close for Kagami's comfort. "You don't have to be an alien to pick up on when somebody's as cranky as you usually are… Your anger just sort of radiates off you, like a battle aura…"

"I said knock it off! _You're_ the reason I get angry, you know!"

"Ah, a classic _tsuntsun_ response! Way to appeal to the special interests!"

* * *

><p>High above and out of sight, cold violet eyes watched the two friends bickering while Tsukasa tried in vain to stop them. Homura stood on the school roof, leaning against the fence and looking down. Their voices didn't carry up far enough for her to hear their words, but she could make out the gist of it.<p>

_Nothing unusual has happened yet,_ said her companion, a small white creature that was something like a cat and something like a rabbit. He spoke to her not in words, but in thoughts, clinical and precise without any hint of feeling. He watched through the chain link as well, his beady round eyes red and unblinking.

_That's good,_ she thought back at him. _Their lives should remain normal for as long as possible._

_But it's inevitable_, he thought. _How long do you think you can keep them out of the fight, knowing what they are?_

_ 'What they are?' As far as they know, they aren't anything but normal girls. All I have to do is stop whoever or whatever seeks them out before it can reach them, and they'll stay that way._

_ An attack _is_ coming, though. You can feel it, can't you?_

_ Oh, I feel it..._ Homura rubbed her thumb over the base of her third finger. She wore a silver ring there, inscribed with strange runes and set with a diamond-shaped stone that resembled an amethyst. _… and I intend to kill it the moment that it manifests._

* * *

><p>"… and all of a sudden, his Geass switches on by itself just as he says that…" Konata's voice blended nicely with the monotonous <em>clack-clack<em> of the train's wheels. It was more than an hour's ride from Ryouou High to the train station in Tobudobutsukoen where their routes would diverge, so Konata had ample opportunity to talk to the Hiiragi sisters on the way. Lately she was set on getting Kagami and Tsukasa to watch _Code Geass_, but her method of persuasion was less than effective, Kagami thought. For the last half-hour, she had been describing selected episodes of the series in excruciating detail…

"… so Euphemia gets zapped into thinking she's got to kill all the Elevens! And at first she tries to fight it…"

"Uh-huh." Kagami nodded distractedly. She had made what she thought was a heroic effort to pay attention and follow Konata's description for the first few minutes, but this was ridiculous. _Honestly, no matter how great it is, it can't possibly live up to all that hype. She's talking like it's written by Tezuka reborn or something… _She yawned, unable to help herself.

Fortunately, Konata was deeply invested in her own world, and ignored the yawn… if she noticed it at all. She waved her hands excitedly as she went on, attracting a few stares from the other passengers on the train. "So she runs out into the stadium, and tells all the Elevens that they've got to die, and she's all happy and stuff!"

That at least shook Kagami from her stupor. "Wait a minute. You said the Elevens are Japanese, right?"

"Yeah, yeah. That's what the Brittanian empire calls them, because Japan is Area 11."

Kagami grimaced. "So she's talking about genocide, and she's _happy?_ Why do you want us to watch this again?"

"No, you don't get it, Kagamin. It's the Geass! She's being mind-controlled."

"Mind-control, right." She rolled her eyes. _God help us if this turns into Konata's new fetish…_

"And then she picks up a machine gun and starts firing into the crowd…"

_Flump._ The sudden weight on Kagami's shoulder indicated that Tsukasa had finally dropped off completely. Kagami wasn't surprised; her sister's eyes had been glazing over for the last ten minutes or so. She smiled down at her twin, now using her shoulder as a pillow in a position that would lead to a severe neck cramp whenever she woke up. _Poor Tsukasa_, she thought as she lightly patted her on the head. _I should start bringing a small cushion or something in my bag for when this happens. Maybe one of those little neck pillows..._

"… and there's blood everywhere, and… and…" Konata stretched and let out a gaping yawn. "Whoo… sorry, Kagamin."

She smirked. "What, did you finally bore _yourself_ to sleep?"

Konata shook her head as she rubbed her eyes. "N-No… just feel… really sleepy all of a su-su-sudden…" she said, punctuating the sentence with another yawn.

"It's all those late nights you spend playing games and watching anime," said Kagami, lightly punching her friend in the upper arm. "They're finally catching up to you. I've _told_ you that stuff's unhealthy, you know."

"Th-that's not true… A real otaku doesn't need… sleep…" Oddly, the comeback was far less vociferous than Kagami was expecting; usually making a jab at the expense of her hobbies was a surefire way to get Konata riled up. She really did look tired; her normally drooping eyelids were now on the brink of closing, and she wobbled in her seat.

"Hey," Kagami chided. "Don't fall asleep now, we'll be at the station soon. I'm not gonna wake you up if you miss your stop…"

There came a snort from the blue-haired girl. "Just five minutes…"

"Don't lean on me, either! I don't want you drooling all over my- Konata?"

It was no use, she was out like a light. Kagami sighed and settled back into her own seat. Now there was no one to talk to. _I guess I'll just watch the other passengers, then. Or the scenery…_

Funny, it seemed Konata and Tsukasa weren't the only ones nodding off. She saw far more sleepy faces than usual among the train's passengers… not only the people in the seats, but even those standing up and holding onto the straps hanging from the ceiling. It was relaxing, in a way; she was tempted to nod off herself. The car swayed gently back and forth, and the passing cityscapes outside the window disappeared as the train plowed into a fog bank.

Kagami blinked and yawned again. _Fog? We haven't had rain in weeks… what's going on?_ All she could see through the glass were puffy grey clouds. _That's weird…_ It felt like the fog was pressing against the side of the train, trying to slip inside. Looking at it made her drowsy for some reason. Feeling strangely disconnected from herself, she heard Konata snore as if from far away.

The realization came to her sluggishly, fighting its way through the clouds: _This isn't normal._ But by then it was too late; her head lolled to the side as the fog oozed through the cracks in the windows and doors. By the time it coalesced into a pillar in the center of the car, she was fast asleep.

* * *

><p>When she awoke, the first thing that struck her was a feeling of something missing. Kagami rubbed her eyes as they adjusted to sudden dimness, and tried to think of what it could be…<p>

It was as if the entire car was open to the cloud. Tendrils of grey mist curled through the air and around the myriad sleeping bodies, and no one and nothing made a sound… that was it. All her tiredness left her at once as she sat up, understanding immediately what was missing… the sound of the train wheels. _We've stopped moving._

A chill ran up and down her back as she turned to Konata and shook her softly. "Hey, Konata! Wake up, something's wrong. The train's not moving. Konata? _Hey!_" She shook harder, but her friend was as limp as a rag doll. Kagami turned around to Tsukasa… "Tsukasa, wake up! We've stopped moving. Tsukasa…?" Her voice quivered as she lightly slapped her twin's face. "Tsukasa!" No response. Kagami reached into the collar of Tsukasa's school uniform and pinched her hard on the shoulder. Still nothing.

The chill on her spine was intensifying. Rubbing her arms against another outbreak of goose bumps, Kagami called out into the fog. "Hello…? Is anyone there?"

The answer, when it came, was spoken in a bizarre, unsettling mixture of a screech and a predatory growl: _"Arposid laell ets el àre rucsoehc oll euqa vort."_

Kagami froze. Icy beads of sweat formed on her forehead. "Wh-who are you?"

_"_Arposid laell ets el àre rucsoehc oll euqa vort_,"_ it repeated, more urgently this time.

She pushed Tsukasa's limp form back into her own seat and stood up. Kagami spoke to the fog with the brassy, offended tone that she used whenever someone was intimidating her, pouring false confidence into her voice. It was a feeble defensive measure, but that was better than nothing at all… "What have you done to these people? Why are they asleep?"

_"_Arposid laell ets el àre rucsoehc oll euqa vort_,"_ said the voice. In the fog, small shapes were moving…

Kagami screamed. She would have been ashamed of herself in other circumstances; she had seen enough horror movies with Konata with situations like this, and _Tsukasa_ was always the screamer, not her. But horror movies were one thing, and these things were _real…_ Crawling out of the fog bank like overgrown inchworms, each one was around eight centimeters long. Some of them slid across the floor, and others moved impossibly through the air, but all of them were moving on tiny tracks of latticework that materialized in front of them and evaporated once they were past. Each one was stark white save for a single blue trapezoidal eye where their heads should have been, and smaller blue markings along their sides. They were shiny and slick with moisture, crawling forward like maggots, coming for her…

Her next scream was cut off as she stumbled backward, tripping over one of the sleeping passengers' outstretched legs. Kagami crashed painfully to the floor and felt a sharp pain in her knee, but she immediately tried to scramble to her feet again. This was crazy, this was insane… the worm-like _things_ couldn't be real, they just couldn't be… it was some sort of nightmare, it had to be. The worms' latticework tracks extended over her ankles, coiling around and tightening as they crawled over her. Repulsed, she tried to reach down and swat them away, but others were now laying their tracks over her hands and arms, pinning them to her sides. "_Konata! Tsukasa! Wake up, please!_" Her cries went unheard; her voice was silenced seconds later by a track laid over her cheeks and across her lips. The worms hadn't muffled her voice, it was simply _gone…_ Tears sprung unbidden to her eyes as she struggled and thrashed, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to lift herself off the floor…

The worms were crawling and floating over to Konata's prone, sleeping, helpless body. One stopped just in front of her forehead. A gap underneath its single eye opened, and a red, serpentine tongue slid out and touched the girl's skin…

Kagami thrashed even harder in her latticework bonds, her throat tightening with another silent scream of horror and disgust. It was doing _something_ to Konata, the tongue was glowing with a faint light at the point where it touched her forehead. _No_, thought Kagami frantically. _No! Not Konata! Let her go! _More worms were descending from the ceiling, over the heads of the sleeping passengers, over Tsukasa… _Stop it. Somebody stop them. _She was more terrified than she had ever been in her life… pure, unadulterated fear gnawed at her relentlessly like a crazed, hungry animal. Adrenaline thundered through her veins as she strained uselessly against the confining tracks. _Please, I can't do anything. Someone help me…!_

Something moved. There was a bizarre sound, a combined Doppler effect as dozen objects, too fast to see, shot past Kagami and plunged into the worms. In the space of one blink of an eye and the next, the worms burst apart and evaporated into nothingness. Someone was standing over her, someone human. An arm reached down and tugged at the tracks binding Kagami's body, pulling them loose and crushing them in a strong grip. Kagami inhaled sharply as her voice returned in a rush, fought to keep from hyperventilating, and grabbed onto the hand as if it were a life raft in the midst of a stormy ocean. It was a slim hand, very pale. Something was attached to the back of it… a diamond-shaped amethyst in a gold setting…

"Stay behind me," said her rescuer, in a cold, familiar monotone.

Kagami's eyes went wide as saucers. The hand she was holding onto belonged to Homura Akemi. Wearing the same stone-chiseled expression as always, she stood there in the center of the train car, holding onto Kagami with one hand and a Beretta handgun with her other. She was dressed in a costume that looked almost like a gothic school uniform… various shades of black, grey, and violet laid over a white, long-sleeved outer coat that partly covered a violet pleated skirt with a small frill. Her black tights were patterned with columns of violet diamonds. And to complete the strangeness, there was something buckled to her arm, a circular shield carved with intricate lines…

After pulling Kagami up from the floor, Akemi stepped past her and ran a hand through her long black hair, flipping it behind her. "Don't panic," she said, the picture of calm. "This will be over quickly."

That sentence nearly broke Kagami's mind. _Don't panic_, she had said. She was sure she had heard correctly. _Don't panic._ The train had plunged into a fog bank that put her best friend and her sister and everyone to sleep, there were worm-like things attaching tongues to people and terrifying voices speaking nonsense, and the school's new transfer student was now here out of nowhere, wielding a handgun and wearing bizarre clothes and telling her not to panic… "The _hell_ I won't!" Kagami blurted out. She fought hard against the urge to grab Akemi and shake her… the small part of herself that could still think rationally reasoned that it wouldn't be wise to do so until she put down the gun. "What _are_ those things? What's happening? Where did you come from? Why-"

"Hiiragi-san, quiet. You're babbling," said Akemi as she loaded another magazine into her weapon.

Kagami felt her cheeks grow hot. _"Babbling?_" she shrieked. Gun or no gun, now Akemi was asking for a punch in the face, at minimum. She actually felt herself making a fist, until the monster emerged from the fog and she forgot all about being angry…

It was shaped vaguely like a human man wearing a white robe… except that it was nearly three meters tall, its bald, featureless, chalk-white head scraping the train car's ceiling. And half its skull simply wasn't _there_… it faded into a nonsensical, shifting pattern of disconnected squares and rectangles that phased rapidly through the color spectrum as she watched. Slowly it moved forward, swaying slightly from right to left… _"__Arposid laell ets el àre rucsoehc oll euqa vort__,"_ it said in that horrible growl-screech, without moving what passed for its mouth. A hand was emerging from the holds of its robe, thin and skeletal…

Kagami screamed once more and tried to hide herself behind Akemi, but she was unable to tear her eyes away from it. "_What the hell _is_ that thing?_"

"A Demon," said Akemi, as if she were commenting on the weather.

There was a gunshot, then another, and another… Five rounds vanished into the Demon's skull before it stopped moving. Its wounds began to ooze bright orange fluid as its enormous body began to topple over.

Her ears still ringing from the gunfire, Kagami gaped at Akemi in shock. "You… you killed it…"

"Not necessarily," she said, holding out a hand to stop her stepping forward… unneeded, as Kagami wasn't going to go any nearer to that thing without at least a dozen more bullets inside it. "This Demon might have a second stage."

"Second…" Kagami was gripped with the sudden urge to just sink to the floor and go mad for a while, maybe throw up a few times.

The Demon's body spasmed, then exploded as something that looked like the small worms times a hundred emerged from it. It was more snakelike, shiny silver instead of white, and instead of a trapezoidal eye it had two extra mouths, one above and one below the main one. Each mouth was filled with razor-sharp fangs, and stained with something that looked horribly like blood… The reborn Demon screeched, a sound that inexplicably reminded Kagami of squealing brakes, and it charged for them, much too fast.

"Damn," said Akemi. "Hiiragi-san, stay back and cover your ears. This will require more firepower."

Kagami needed no second bidding; she crouched down and covered her head, unable to stop herself from watching for what Akemi was about to do… She never even saw Akemi move, but there with a flash of fire and a burst of heat, and a rocket propelled grenade shot straight through the Demon's middle set of fangs, shattering them into bloody shards. No more than a second later its body exploded with a titanic roar… what little was left of the corpse evaporated before the echoes of the blast had stopped ringing off the car's metal walls.

The fog began to thin and clear away in the dreadful silence that followed. Slowly, faintly, the familiar _clack-clack_ of train wheels struck up again as the car lurched into life.

Akemi stepped calmly over to the spot where the Demon had exploded, and knelt to pick something off the floor… a black, translucent cube.

"Akemi…?" said Kagami, not daring to ask whether the ordeal was over.

"It's dead," she said, pocketing the cube.

"What…" Kagami swallowed and tried to decide which of her hundreds of questions she needed answered first. "What _are _you?" She froze, mentally kicking herself. _Kagami, you idiot! _That's _what you open with? Idiot, idiot, idiot!_

If she found the question rude, there was no way to tell. Akemi answered calmly, "I am a Puella Magi… a magical girl," she added as Kagami's lips parted to ask another question.

That answer wasn't exactly helpful. Kagami's mind instantly leapt to pictures of Akemi dressed up like Nanoha, or Sakura, or one of the Precures… She stopped and shook herself, trying to stay grounded in reality. "Magical girls aren't real," she said flatly. Evidence to the contrary was staring her in the face, but it felt good to say it regardless.

"Not in your world," said Akemi. "Please, sit down."

Kagami allowed herself to be guided to her seat in between Konata and Tsukasa, who incredibly were still asleep. "That's probably a good idea," she said in a daze. "I'm going to need a safe place to faint once you explain yourself. Are… are they going to be all right?" she asked fearfully, indicating the two.

"I think so," said Akemi. "The Spawn didn't get much of a chance to feed."

"'Spawn?' What… Akemi, please, you're losing me…"

The Puella Magi frowned and looked down at the amethyst on the back of her hand. "I am sorry, but I can't explain anything right now. This should not have happened… I didn't want you or your loved ones to know about this."

"They're sure as hell going to know about it _now!_" Kagami erupted with frustration. "You'd better make some effort to explain, Akemi, because I-"

She stopped as Akemi laid her fingertips against her forehead. Her touch was soft, delicate and strangely cool… Kagami felt sleep descending over her, a pleasant sleep, not like the kind caused by the fog. The amethyst on Akemi's hand was glowing faintly… it was beautiful…

"Go to sleep," Akemi whispered. "Forget that this ever happened. It's safer if you don't know."

"A… kemi…" The name was barely past Kagami's lips when she fell deep into slumber.

* * *

><p><em>"Tobudobutsuoken. The D Train has arrived at Tobudobutsuoken,"<em> droned the PA system.

Dimly, Kagami felt someone shaking her. "_Onee-chan_, come on, wake up! We've gotta go home…"

A voice on her other side chuckled. "Sheesh, Kagamin, and you give me so much crap about sleeping in class, you hypocrite." She couldn't see the cat-like grin, but she _felt_ it. "It's worth it, though, to see your cute sleepy face…"

"Sh-shut up," muttered Kagami, flushing hot and swatting an arm in Konata's general direction as she roused herself. "It's not the same thing at all! _God_, you're annoying…"

Tsukasa tugged at her arm again. "C'mon, _onee-chan_. We'll buy some coffee milk or something at the station if you're still tired."

"I'm up, I'm up," said Kagami, yawning and stretching her arms. It _was_ strange for her to fall asleep like that, but not entirely unexpected, given her workload.

The three of them exited the train and said their goodbyes, with Konata promising to recap more of _Code Geass_ over the phone that evening. For the Hiiragi twins, the walk home was an unusually quiet affair. The only sounds were the persistent song of the cicadas and the echoes of their footsteps on the pavement.

"Is something wrong, _onee-chan?_" Tsukasa asked after a few blocks. "You seem kinda down."

"I'm fine. At least, I think so," said Kagami with a frown. She felt like she was missing something important… but her school bag was there in her hand with all of her books, and her cell phone was tucked securely inside. There was no rain, and therefore no umbrella to keep track of. Her empty bento box was tucked snugly into the bag's pocket, wrapped securely in her handkerchief. That should have been everything… so what was missing? It nagged at her like a half-remembered dream all the way home, after which her usual chores and homework drove it from her mind.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until she was safely in bed that night that she remembered. Perhaps because of her nap on the train, she had trouble falling asleep… She tossed and turned, flipped over her pillow, kicked off her blankets and put them on again… nothing helped. She was wide awake.<p>

Grumbling with irritation, she got up and put on her favorite fluffy slippers, then crossed to the window. _Maybe some fresh air will help…_ Tugging aside the shades, she threw open the windows and leaned out into the cool night air, letting it wash over her. The breeze was coupled by a fresh chorus of cicadas singing to each other outside. Kagami shut her eyes and listened to the familiar sound, willing it to lull her to sleep like it usually did… but after five minutes, she still felt as awake as ever.

Something outside caught her eye. There, across the street, on a rooftop. She thought it was a cat at first glance… but no, it was far too large for that. It was a human… a girl. She stood on the apex of the roof, silhouetted by the full moon, her long black hair blowing in the early summer breeze. Kagami never knew how it happened, or how she was so sure of it… Akemi was much too far away to make out her face. But she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Homura Akemi had turned her head and was staring directly at her with those eerie violet eyes… she could see her at the window, and was looking back.

Only by biting her tongue did she resist the urge to cry out. She remembered _everything_, all in a rush. There had been monsters on the train, and Akemi had appeared and saved her life… and Konata's, and Tsukasa's, and everyone else's on board. She felt herself shuddering uncontrollably, and her heart pounded in her breast as she hugged herself, desperate for some warmth to relieve the chill of the icy sweat that had once again gripped her body. Kagami wanted more than anything to rush back to bed and dive under the covers, turn on the lights, do _something_ other than shiver and stay in eye contact with the far-away girl on the rooftop… but for no reason she could explain, it was impossible to look away.

Whatever it was, the connection only lasted a moment. The Puella Magi broke the gaze, turned away, and vanished into the night.

_A magical girl_, she thought over a fresh outbreak of shivers, knowing with terrible certainty that what she had seen that afternoon hadn't been a dream or a nightmare or a hallucination. _Homura Akemi is a magical girl. _She turned that thought over and over in her mind, trying to make sense of it. _She warned me_, she thought. _She said I should stay away. Was that thing the reason?_ Kagami had never had much enthusiasm for magical girl anime… that was more Konata's forte, and what she knew about the genre came from her. _But if it's anything like in anime… there are _more_ of those things. Demons._ The thought made her stomach turn._ Is she here because of them… or are the monsters here because of _her? The latter idea was almost too horrible to contemplate, so her mind wandered away from it. _She protected me. Protected _us, she corrected herself, then she frowned. _Why did I single myself out like that? I'm nothing special… am I?_

Kagami looked back out at the night sky, at the glorious canopy of stars overhead. Whatever was happening was almost incomprehensible… but somehow, Akemi understood it. There was nothing else for it; she would have to confront her tomorrow… _No matter how weird she makes me feel,_ she thought.

Her eyes traveled back to the rooftop, and she stared at the place where Akemi had been standing for more than an hour before going back to bed.

**END OF CHAPTER 2**


	3. Chapter 3: We Were Too Late

**CHAPTER 3: We Were Too Late**

**2007**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

"G'morning, Kagami… wow, you look like _hell_. What happened?"

That was the middle Hiiragi sister, Matsuri. The oddball of the family in appearance as well as behavior, Matsuri had light brown hair, hazel eyes, a lazy attitude, and an extremely blunt manner. She smirked and leaned back in her chair as Kagami lurched down the stairs, rubbing her eyes.

"Leamme 'lone, Matsuri," she mumbled as she sat down at the table, fighting the urge to nod off again. Much as she hated to admit it, Matsuri was probably right… after the night she'd had, she almost certainly _did_ look terrible.

"You poor thing," said a gentle voice from the kitchen. Miki Hiiragi stepped gracefully over to her daughter and brushed her bangs aside, laying a cool hand on her forehead. "Did you stay up late studying again? I thought I've told you about pushing yourself too hard."

"I'll be fine, Mom," she lied. Her heartbeat quickened just slightly at her mother's touch, as she remembered what Akemi had done yesterday… _No,_ she thought. _I'm not gonna think about that yet. Breakfast first, then school, _then_ I can find out what the hell is going on._ "Is Tsukasa up yet?"

"Still snoring away," said Matsuri, shrugging and going back to her plate. Nothing much fazed her.

Kagami allowed herself a small smile of relief. _At least that's normal._

Miki had returned to the kitchen. Her quiet voice was somehow perfectly audible over the sounds of bubbling pots and chopping boards… just hearing it lifted Kagami's spirits a little. "I can make your breakfast if you want. What do you feel like?"

"Mmm… eggs," said Kagami. "Over-easy. And I'll need some very strong tea…"

"Oh? Do you have a test today?" said Miki, rummaging through a cabinet.

"Something like that," said Kagami.

* * *

><p><strong>Ryouou High<strong>

She was already there when Kagami stepped into homeroom. Akemi was just sitting there, staring off into space at nothing in particular. Not caring what anyone else would think, she marched straight over to Akemi's desk and slammed a hand down on it. "We need to talk," she said by way of greeting.

Akemi didn't even flinch. "Not now."

"This is the way it's going to be? Fine," said Kagami. "When? Just give me a time."

"Later," said Akemi.

Kagami's cheeks began to burn. "Listen, you…!"

"Whoa, Hiiragi, chill out!" said someone across the aisle. It was Misao; she had come to class unusually early and was using the time to chat with her classmates. Her mouth hung wide open at Kagami's display of temper, and her one snaggletooth fang was clearly visible. "Sheesh, I usually only see you get so worked up around the midget…!"

"Can it, Kusakabe, it's none of your business," Kagami snapped. She was in no mood for foolishness, not today.

Misao stood up and grasped Kagami's shoulder, to the latter's annoyance. "C'mon, c'mon, settle down," she said with an infuriating smile. "What's the matter? You havin' cramps in your lady parts today or somethin'?"

"Thank you, Kusakabe-san," said Akemi with infinite calm. "Hiiragi-san, I don't know why you're upset, but this is not the time to discuss it. Class will be starting very soon. Please sit down."

She could almost feel steam erupting out the top of her head, like in one of Konata's anime. Kagami fumed silently and allowed Misao to push her into her seat. _How dare she? How _dare_ she, after what happened yesterday?_ Her teeth ground together as she opened her bag and slammed her books down onto her desk, with far more force than necessary. _ I swear, when I get my hands on her, I'll-_

_On the roof, during lunch break._

Kagami almost fell out of her chair. She was hearing Akemi's voice inside her mind, as clear as if she were standing right next to her. Once again, her skin broke out in goose bumps; Akemi was staring at the back of her head, her eyes boring holes in her skull. She didn't even have to turn around to confirm it, she could _feel_ the stare.

_Wha… _She struggled to form a coherent thought. _What… how… how are you- G-get out of my head! Get out!_

_ We will talk on the roof, during lunch break. Is that acceptable?_ Her thoughts were as cold and even as her voice.

_Yes, fine, whatever, now _stop that! Kagami was trembling with the effort of staying silent; it came as a blessed relief when she felt the mental connection close. A huge breath escaped her; she hadn't even realized she had been holding it.

"You're really on edge today, aint'cha?" Misao gave her an odd look across the aisle, raising an eyebrow. "Must be somethin' goin' around… Ayano-chan barely talked to me in the hall."

"I'm fine, I'm _fine,_" muttered Kagami, feeling anything but. Sakuraba-_sensei_ was coming in the classroom door, now it was time to get to work.

Schoolwork proved to be far harder than it should have been, however… a million little things kept distracting her, and half a million of them led back to thinking about the girl sitting several seats behind her. In fact, Kagami missed several very easy Biology questions that morning, questions she should have been able to answer in a heartbeat. It stabbed at her like a knife when she saw a brief look of disappointment flicker across Sakuraba-_sensei_'s face after one particularly bad answer.

After that embarrassment, she groaned as she slumped forward on her desk, putting her head in her arms. _Magical girls! _she thought to herself, framing the words as a curse.

* * *

><p>At least it was wonderful weather for eating on the school roof. Sometimes in the summer months it would be roasting up there… you could see the heat waves shimmering just a half-meter ahead of you on the worst days. But today the sky was cheery blue and patterned with huge, fluffy clouds that provided excellent shade from the relentless midday sun.<p>

It was so bright outside that it took a moment for Kagami's eyes to adjust as she stepped out of the rooftop stairwell. She squeezed her eyelids shut and shielded her face with her arm as she called out. "Akemi…?"

"Here," came the reply. She was leaning against the fence at the very edge of the roof. A lesser light, apart from that of the blazing sun, was shining faintly across her face, projected from a flat black object in her hands. It was too large to be a cell phone, it was almost the size of a book cover. Akemi's eyes were intent on it; she didn't even look up.

Kagami checked to see that they were alone, then stomped over to her, throwing a long shadow across her body. She opened her mouth to let Akemi have it, to tell her that it was _her_ fault she didn't sleep, _her_ fault that now her classmates thought there was something weird between them, _her_ fault that she was unable to concentrate all day… and suddenly found herself struck dumb.

She couldn't say exactly how she could tell. It wasn't Akemi's face that gave it away; her expression was as neutral as always. Nor was it her body language… leaning against the fence presented the impression that she was perfectly relaxed. She wasn't twitching or shuffling her feet or sagging her shoulders or doing anything that should have indicated her feelings, but it was clear nonetheless: Homura Akemi was on the point of tears. A lesser person would have broken down into sobbing already, but she remained stoic and dry-eyed.

Angry as she was, Kagami somehow sensed this sadness, and felt it wouldn't help matters to start off the conversation by yelling at her. Hesitantly, she asked, "Is- is this a bad time…?"

"No." And just like that, Akemi was back to normal. Nothing visibly or audibly changed at all, but it was entirely clear that her moment of emotion was over.

Kagami couldn't help but feel that she had just intruded on something very private. Searching about for something to say, she finally landed on the black panel. "What is that?"

"It's called a tablet computer." It had no buttons; she was manipulating the data on its surface by brushing her fingertips across it, and occasionally tapping the screen. At the moment, she was looking at a series of photos of girls in odd costumes.

Kagami wasn't into technology, but she was impressed regardless. "It's like one of those new touch phone things, or a DS… but I've never seen one so advanced before…"

"They haven't been invented yet."

"Wait, _what?_"

"There are many things I must explain to you, Kagami Hiiragi," said Akemi, darkening the tablet's surface with a brush of her hand. "Much of what I tell you will be hard to hear, and even harder to believe, but it's clear to me now that you have to know. The magic I cast on your memories was ineffective, and that alone tells me something is very wrong…"

"M-my memories?" Kagami stammered. "Akemi, you were standing on the roof of our neighbor's house, you weren't exactly trying to keep out of sight!"

"I followed you all afternoon after you left the train, to be sure that the experience had not… changed you," said Akemi. "However, late last night you were able to see through my barrier and recover your memories of the incident. That should not happen, Hiiragi-san. Once cast, magic always works… it may not work in the way that you expect, but its effects cannot be dispelled, or muted, or broken, unless the caster wishes it to be so. You broke two works of powerful magic from an experienced Puella Magi without even trying … without even knowing that you _could._"

"Wait, wait, wait," said Kagami, holding up her hands. She could feel the hair on the back of her neck rising. "I don't want to know about your magic or whatever, though I'm sure that's great and all… I want to hear about _you_. Why you're here, what you want with me, and what that Demon thing was doing on the train!"

"Very well," Akemi said simply. "I shall try to make this as simple as I can." She sat down and motioned Kagami to do the same. The clouds passed over the sun as she spoke. "I am from a city called Mitakihara-"

"Hold on," said Kagami. "That's in Japan, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"I looked it up online last night before I went back to bed, and I couldn't find anything about it at all… No city called Mitakihara in Japan, or anywhere else for that matter. It's not on any maps, and didn't show up in any search listings…"

"That's because Mitakihara does not exist yet. It's possible that in this timeline, it may not exist at all."

There was a long moment of uncomfortable silence.

"You're telling me…" said Kagami slowly, trying to process that information, "… that you're a magical girl… from the _future._"

"2013, to be exact. Approximately six years from now."

Kagami shut her eyes and shook her head. "Honestly… Konata's going to have a field day when she hears about this…"

"May I continue?"

"Go ahead."

"I am from a city called Mitakihara-"

"_Kono sekai ni umareta… sono imo wo…_" The song came from the pocket of Kagami's skirt, muffled considerably by the fabric.

"_Rrrgh!_ What _now?_" Kagami almost screamed as she snatched her phone from her pocket. Was the universe conspiring to keep her from being told the truth or something? As Homura waited patiently with her hands folded in her lap, Kagami mumbled an apology and flipped the phone open.

_kagamin we r at lunch where r u?_ read a text written in Konata's signature mixture of mangled Japanese and chatspeak.

Kagami swore; she had forgotten to tell Tsukasa that she wouldn't be joining them for the usual lunch in the cafeteria. _On roof with new transfer student,_ she typed, taking pains to do so legibly even though it took far longer. _Important stuff for school. Don't bother me!_ She jabbed the SEND button with her thumb, then waited… Konata would _never_ let her have the last word. "Sorry about this," she said to Akemi, rolling her eyes. "It's my friend Konata. I usually eat with her and my sister…"

"I don't mind," she said, brushing her hair back. "It's good to know that your friends care about you." Was that wistfulness in her voice?

No more than thirty seconds later, the second text arrived: _w00t! _it said. _Go Kagamin! EVENT FLAG GET! _d（￣ω￣）b

Kagami just stared at the screen, baffled. "Sometimes I _swear_ she's not speaking Japanese…" She shut off the phone, clicked it shut, and placed it back in her pocket, then looked at Akemi expectantly. "Well?"

The other girl cleared her throat. "I will skip ahead a bit. Here is what you need to know most of all: Puellae Magi exist only to fight Demons. Some of us _choose_ to try to save the lives of the Demons' targets, but that is by no means the norm."

"So… no fighting for love and justice, then?" The quip didn't sound nearly as light-hearted as it had in Kagami's head. She felt oddly cold.

Strangely, the smallest ghost of a smile flickered across Akemi's face for an instant. "Someone I used to know did, but she was… an oddity." Then she was all seriousness again: "Demons are creatures formed from human sorrows. They are beings of concentrated hatred, grief, and madness. When they target someone, they will feed on that person's Heart-"

"H-Heart?" The coldness escalated; Kagami's veins filled with ice as she clutched at her chest, as if something might try to take her heart at any moment. "I-Is that what that thing was trying to do to-"

Akemi shook her head. "You have the wrong idea. It's not the heart in the physical sense… a human heart is little but a muscle which pumps blood. It's vital to the body, but useless to a Demon. The Heart that Demons feed on is something intangible… the core of human emotion. They take people's joy, their hope, their capacity to feel happiness… if left unchecked, all that will remain is a person's most bitter feelings, their deepest inner darkness. Not many live long after a Demon is done feeding… those that do are little better than the Demons themselves."

If anything, that was even _worse. _To live without even the _idea_ of happiness, to lose all hope… "H-How… why…" Kagami couldn't reply coherently, she simply sat there trembling.

"No one knows," Akemi said in a whisper. "Most likely they're driven by hunger, or by instinct. However, that only answers what the Demons do, and I still must explain why I am here.

"I told you that I come from the future. While that is true, I am also from another universe… a parallel reality, of which there are countless billions, each with their own differences. On my plane of the multiverse, the Demons have…" Here she paused, and briefly reached her hand up to touch the red ribbon in her hair. "… have always existed, and there have always been Puellae Magi to stop them… my allies and I are but a small number of the hundreds around the world.

"One night, a year and a half ago from my perspective, one of my fellow Puellae Magi had a terrible vision. A catastrophe would befall the entire world should the Demons succeed in killing one particular person. Using her unique abilities, she was able to do something unprecedented: she brought together all of the Puellae Magi from Mitakihara and the surrounding cities and united them with one cause, to find the Demons' target and protect them at all costs."

"Who was the target…?" In some way she couldn't explain, Kagami knew the answer before she gave it.

"One of a pair of twins living in Saitama, born on the day of the Tanabata Festival," said Akemi. "The Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi of our universe. We only gleaned the briefest fragments from Oriko's initial vision. The rest we had to piece together… there were no Magi in Saitama, no one local who could point us in the right direction. We had every intention of ensuring the safety of both you and your sister, not knowing which of you was the target, but…"

Akemi looked down at her feet, and her eyes disappeared beneath her black bangs. "We were too late. By the time our forces gathered… Tsukasa was dead."

Was it the world she felt spinning wildly out of control, or was it herself? Kagami honestly didn't know. She thought she might faint at any moment. Tsukasa, dead… she had never imagined life without her sister. Tsukasa was a constant in an ever-changing world: her eternally smiling face, her nearly hopeless struggles with schoolwork, her uncanny ability to anticipate when Kagami had had a bad day and be ready with a homemade snack, her goofiness that never failed to make her laugh, her charming innocence… She was closer to Kagami than anyone, friend or family. To have her taken away… "No," she whispered pleadingly. "No." She shook her head, trying to erase the images playing in the dark corners of her mind: Tsukasa bleeding, Tsukasa falling…

"You… the other you…" Akemi's voice was still in that dreadful monotone. How could she be so cold? "She simply… broke. There was nothing we could do. Somehow, impossibly, her anger and grief transformed her… and the creature that was born from that grief wasn't just a Demon, it was a nightmare... chaos given form. It tore into our world, into time and space itself, rending them apart… We couldn't defeat it alone. Oriko began to gather all of the Puellae Magi in Japan, then from all across the world… There were hundreds of us, nearly a thousand all together. All our power against one Demon… and in the end, less than half a dozen survived."

Kagami dropped to the ground, numb and sick with guilt. She had started to cry moments ago, but she didn't realize it until she saw the dark pools of teardrops blotting the cement beneath her. "Why… how could I…?"

"It wasn't you, Hiiragi-san," Akemi whispered. "The thing that destroyed us… its malice was beyond anything a human mind could conceive. Our world's Kagami Hiiragi ceased to exist the moment that the Demon was born."

Her vision blurred from tears, Kagami glared up at her furiously, meeting those cold violet eyes with her own, daring them to comprehend even part of what she was feeling. "That's supposed to make me feel _better?_ Just shut up, Akemi! Shut up and leave me alone, I don't want to hear any more…"

"You have to," said Akemi. "You have to know, for your life is in danger. Not knowing the truth will lead to another catastrophe, even worse than the one that befell our world."

"_Worse?_ What could _possibly_ be worse than-"

"After the final blow was struck, as the Demon's body crumbled, its power bled throughout the multiverse. Demons appeared in realities where they should never have existed, worlds without Puellae Magi to stop them. Worlds like this one… and of all the Hiiragi sisters in every reality, you and your world's Tsukasa are in the most danger of all…"

Kagami shook her head fervently, and her pigtails spilled over her shoulders. She wished that she were somewhere, _anywhere_ else, just to get away from this madness that had invaded her life… "I don't want to hear it. I don't want-"

"… because you and your sister are the focal points of the multiverse itself."

Kagami froze. The sun was beating down on her, but she couldn't feel it. She couldn't feel anything… "No," she said. "No. We're not. You're crazy, we're not anything special! We're not your focal points or _whatever!_ There's no way! No way in hell!"

Akemi moved, and a shadow fell over Kagami's body. Her cool, slender arms wrapped around her, embracing her…

… and Kagami, who was feeling as if nothing at all could possibly shock or disturb her more than what she had just been told, felt an entirely new and foreign kind of shock as her body began to tremble involuntarily. "A-Akemi… what…"

"I'm so sorry," Akemi said softly, holding her close. "I've given you a terrible burden, more than any person should have to bear. I wanted to spare you from it, Hiiragi-san. I wanted to be here to stop them before they found you, so you would never have to know the truth… but that's not possible anymore."

"Akemi…" Kagami's heartbeat quickened. Her most basic instincts, to push this strange girl away and get the hell out of there, didn't seem to be responding. _What's wrong with me?_

"Please," she said, with more emotion than Kagami had ever heard from her. "Call me Homura…"

They remained that way, the girl from one world holding onto the girl from the other, for what felt like hours… Everything seemed to have stopped, frozen in that one moment. The stars could have fallen, the world around them could have crumbled, and neither would notice or care.

Homura finally let her go once her shaking had stopped. She brushed her hair back and looked away… and saw that they were no longer alone on the roof.

_Homura_, said the small white catlike creature. _We have a problem._

Kagami stared. It looked nothing so much like one of those stuffed plush toys of the mascot to some anime series or another, and was sitting so still that it could be mistaken for one. But then it blinked its round red eyes, and Kagami heard its voice in her mind, as she had Homura's earlier… Its thoughts were clean and clinical as a surgeon's knife, blunt as a wall and about as warm.

_I didn't wish to interrupt you_, said the creature, _but it appears someone in this building has been Branded._

"What _is _that thing?" said Kagami to Homura. "Why is it talking in our heads?"

"This is Kyubey," she said. "He's… a friend, of sorts. An ally from my world."

Kyubey turned and looked at Kagami. It… _he_… had a catlike smile that made her think of Konata, but unlike Konata's it gave her the creeps. _Greetings, Kagami Hiiragi. I'm sorry I can't stop to introduce myself properly, but this matter can't be ignored._

"What matter?" said Kagami, feeling herself spinning out of control again. "Did it say '_Branded'?_"

Homura stood up immediately. "This is very bad. A human that's been marked with a Demon's Brand will be under its influence… a slave to its will for it to feed off of until it's strong enough to emerge from its Curse Seed. I'm sorry, Hiiragi-san, but we need to go."

"Wait a minute!" Kagami rose to her feet somewhat haltingly, as her legs had fallen asleep. "Go _where?_"

"We must find the Curse Seed and destroy it before the Demon inside it is born. There isn't-"

The three of them froze. There were voices coming from the open door of the rooftop stairwell, loud ones. Two people were arguing…

"I don't understand what's wrong!" said the first voice, close to tears. "Did I do somethin' bad? Just talk to me, please!"

"_No!_" The second voice was shrill and near-hysterical. "How many times do I have to tell you? Go away, just leave me alone!"

Kagami's eyes widened as she recognized the first voice. Without thinking, she clutched at Homura's sleeve. "That's Kusakabe! But she's _never_ that upset…"

Homura didn't answer. She was staring at the amethyst set into her silver ring, which was glowing brighter by the second. "No," she muttered to herself. "Don't tell me…"

The stairwell door made a thunderous racket as it was pushed aside with enough force to crash it into the wall behind it. It took a moment for Kagami to recognize the person storming out of the egress… because she had never seen that person so angry before, never imagined her face could twist into such a grotesque scowl.

Ayano Minegeshi was red-faced and wild-eyed, seething visibly as she emerged onto the roof. She was followed barely a second later by Misao Kusakabe, who was crying freely, lost in total confusion. Both girls were in such a frenzied state that neither of them noticed the others on the roof.

"Ayano-chan, stop!" Misao sprinted across the roof and caught her friend by the arm. "Whatever it was I did, I'm sorry! I'm sorry… please don't be mad at m-"

Ayano spun around on her heel, and there was a sickening sound, a hard, wet _thwump _as her fist connected with Misao's cheek. The brown-haired girl crumpled into a quivering heap as Ayano stood over her, her blue eyes livid with rage. "_Shut up!_" she screamed, raising her hand as if to strike again, despite the blood flowing from her knuckles. _"Just shut up, Misao!_ I'm sick of you, do you hear me? Sick of your stupid jokes, sick of you following me around all the time, sick of having to do _every little thing _for you! I've spent half my life babysitting you, wasting my time hoping you would act your age and stop being such an immature, lazy-"

"_Minegeshi!_" Kagami's jaw dropped in horror. Her feet moved of their own accord; this was insane, Misao and Ayano _never_ fought, they were the best of friends, as close as Konata and herself… and Ayano was always so gentle and soft-spoken, even when Misao was at her worst… This couldn't be true, it had to be a nightmare. "Minegeshi, stop!"

Homura's arm stopped her in mid-step. "Stay back, Hiiragi-san. It's her… she's the one that's Branded!"

"Screw _that_, I'm stopping her Brand or no Brand! She's gonna kill Misao!" She pushed ineffectually against the arm, but Homura refused to budge.

Misao was past the point of words. She lay there helplessly with blood trickling down her lip, sobbing uncontrollably as her best friend's tirade rained down on her.

"_Go away!_" Ayano shrieked, raising her fist high above her head. "_I never want to see you again, I hate-_"

The remainder of that sentence dissolved into a wordless howl that seemed to tear itself from deep within Ayano's body, a terrible, primal sound, barely even human. Her red-rimmed eyes went wide, and her fingers uncurled from the tiny object she had been holding tightly in her fist… a black, translucent cube, with a sinister-looking spindle rammed through its center. The cube pulsed, dark clouds leaked from its angles like smoke and spread across the roof…

"_Minegeshi!_" Kagami shouted fruitlessly into the darkness as Ayano was lost from view. "Homura, what the hell is happening?"

The answer came not from Homura, but from Kyubey, who was watching the terrible smoke clouds spread without even a flicker of change coming over his eerie, frozen expression. He said simply, _It's hatching._

**END OF CHAPTER 3**


	4. Chapter 4: Why Can't I Do Anything?

**CHAPTER 4: Why Can't I Do Anything?**

**2007**

**Ryouou High**

_"Minegeshi!"_ Kagami's cry of horror was drowned out; a terrible noise was coming from the cube, a deafening moan that sounded just human enough to chill the blood of whoever heard it. Once again, she pushed against Homura's arm. She had to do something, get that thing away from Ayano and Misao…

"No," said Homura, barely audible over the sound. "You must stay here, Hiiragi-san. I'll stop it… and I'll do everything I can to save your friends. Kyubey, stay with her."

_I understand_, came the reply. The catlike creature was now sitting at Kagami's feet.

With that, Homura thrust her arm out into the black clouds that were rapidly engulfing the roof. The amethyst set into the silver ring on her finger began to glow, brighter and brighter, straining against the crushing dark. It sparked like a tiny violet star and moved itself into her outstretched palm, resolving itself into a new and larger shape, a gem stone accented with gold, looking for all the world like a Fabergé egg…

The gem lit itself from within like a lantern, casting its violet light over Homura as she moved… and Kagami watched in awe as she spun in midair, graceful as a ballet dancer, her school uniform falling away piece by piece to be replaced with the costume she had been wearing on the train. The silver shield appeared in a flash on her left arm as she floated gently back to the ground, her transformation complete.

Kagami was almost expecting her to say something, one of those corny pre-battle speeches that were a staple in all the magical girl anime that she knew. Homura said nothing; she went straight to her mission, waving a hand over her shield and pulling a handgun from nowhere. She only looked away from the center of the darkness for a split second… that was all it took to set a three-foot circle of glowing light at Kagami's feet. Then she was simply _gone_… she blinked out of existence without a sound.

Completely overwhelmed, Kagami sank to her knees inside the circle, wondering if the world would ever make sense again… she barely felt it when Kyubey hopped into her lap.

The space outside the circle was changing, warping and twisting on itself, stretching in some places, tearing in others. What little could be seen of the school's roof was melting away, and something new and frightening was taking its place…

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_The death scream went on and on and on, long past the point where a normal voice would have faded. It screamed and screamed and screamed as its enormous body began to buckle under its own weight… the main body was falling, flattening the rubble of what had once been the downtown area. The multiple trunk-like legs, as big around as entire city blocks, were splintering and collapsing in its death throes, retracting the countless thin, branching tendrils they had plunged deep into the earth's mantle. One by one, its twelve terrible burning eyes were darkening, flickering out like candles._

_ "Dammit, Akemi, get back behind the barrier!" Kyoko Sakura shouted up at the winged figure hovering far above their heads. She was so high in the sky that only her wings could be seen, jagged and spread to their full width, swirling with the patterns of stars and nebulae. Her voice was lost in the ongoing screaming; she doubted Akemi would be able to hear even if she were standing next to her._

_Kyoko gritted her teeth, pouring all of her remaining energy into maintaining the walls of crystalline chain link, the walls that were all that shielded them from the energies being unleashed by the winged figure and the dying Demon. One of the thing's eyes was still burning… she swore it glared right at her just before it spewed forth a ray of white-hot light. That light clashed hard against the barrier, instantly incinerating the outer layers, melting the middle ones away. That was fine; the inner layers were the strongest. They would hold. They _had_ to hold, at least until the Demon finally fell. After that… _Come on,_ thought Kyoko, her hands gripping the shaft of her spear so tightly that her knuckles turned white. _Come on, you stubborn bastard, it's over now… just give up and die already! _Beads of sweat ran down her forehead. The heat was beginning to leak through the barrier, but she had to keep it up. Had to keep the others safe until the job was finished…_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

A wooden floor replaced the hard concrete underneath them, scratched and pitted in a thousand places. It was as if they had shrunken to the size of ants, for the one plank of the floor that they sat on was at least three meters across, and so long that its other end disappeared into the black behind them. Ten meters in either direction from them, the lower hems of enormous red curtains hung down from the sky… looking up, there was a rusting metal catwalk impossibly far above their heads, and from it hung a series of brilliant, glaring spotlights that had replaced the afternoon sun. In front of them, past the point where the floor ended, were hundreds of giant chairs with folding seats, stuffed with fraying red cushions. There were indistinct whispers coming from those chairs, but no one to speak them, no one was there at all… Misao, Ayano, and Homura were nowhere to be seen.

"What is this place?" said Kagami. She was fighting the urge to hug Kyubey to her chest like a stuffed animal, just to provide some measure of comfort. "It looks like… a theater…"

_We're inside the Demon's Lair,_ said Kyubey, as calm and placid as Kagami was frightened and confused. _The Lair is a space that the Demon generates that exists outside of the real world. You could call it another dimension. You're lucky that Homura's protecting you… Only Puellae Magi can freely enter and exit the Lair. If she weren't here, you and your friends would be trapped here... at least until the Demon killed you._

Kagami glared down at him. Hugging this thing was seeming like less and less of a comforting prospect. "What's the matter with you? Aren't you worried at all?"

_No_, said Kyubey, tilting his head. _Why should I be? Homura's here. As long as she can still move, she won't give up the fight… not until the Demon is dead._

"She's done this before?"

_Hundreds of times._

"All alone?"

_More often than not._

Kagami stared off into the blackness. For some reason, the thought of fighting alone scared her more than anything else at the moment. She had only seen two Demons and had been terrified out of her wits each time. Just these things _existing_ was bad enough, but having to fight them to the death without any help…

"Kyubey?" she whispered. "Why do people like Homura become Puellae Magi?"

_It's a contract,_ said Kyubey. _A Puella Magi receives the power of magic in exchange for a single wish… in return for that wish, they must fight the Demons and help to stave off the process of entropy._

Kagami frowned, remembering that term from her science classes. "That's the universe running out of energy, isn't it?"

_Yes. Puellae Magi defy the laws of physics and thermodynamics, so their actions can slow down or even reverse entropy. Each contract buys the universe a little more time._

"And they do this for a wish… what kind of wish?"

_It can be for anything at all. Some girls wish for health, or for power… Others fulfill their hearts' desires._

She wrinkled her nose. "That sounds like a Disney movie," she said flatly. "So what did Homura wish for?"

_I don't know._

Kagami stared at the little creature, and he stared back at her with that same frozen smile. "But if you made a contract with her, how-"

For the first time, she heard a small note of uncertainty in Kyubey's words. _Homura is… an irregularity. She must have made a contract with me at some point, but I can't remember her ever doing so. I've asked her about it, but she won't tell me._

Beyond the edge of the stage, the whispering from the giant seats was growing louder. Feeling the hairs rising on the back of her neck, Kagami shuddered. Maybe hugging Kyubey wasn't such a bad idea after all… "I don't like this," she said. "The voices are getting louder. What does that mean?"

Before Kyubey could answer, a shot rang out, the blast echoing from one end of the stage to the other. It was followed shortly thereafter by a lancing beam of green light that left a streak across Kagami's vision in its wake. The stage began to tremble as more shots and light beams were exchanged, growing closer to each other…

And then Kagami screamed, for the Demon inexplicably appeared out of thin air not a meter from the edge of the circle. Looming tall over her, its white, featureless head swirling with random shapes, its hand emerged from the folds of its cloak… _"Ani voraon nardac itt uteell etsel ar ucso,"_ it said, in a voice completely unlike the one of the Demon on the train. Instead of a metallic screech, this Demon spoke in a low groan that sounded of branches creaking in a windstorm, and its words were punctuated with horrible snapping noises, like bones breaking…

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_At last, blessedly, it was fading. Pieces of its body broke away and dissolved, the fragments floating up like ashes, up to the sky where the clouds had hung unnaturally low and heavy ever since the weather stopped changing. Many of the ashes were swallowed up by the dozens of ghastly wounds the Demon had torn in the sky, wounds which still burned hot and red as blood._

_ Kyoko groaned and let herself topple to the ground. Her spear dropped from her numb hands and dissolved into crimson particles. The barrier, or what was left of it, fell to pieces around her, the crystals shattering to dust as they hit the poisoned soil. They had done it. Finally, they had done it. Vittoria was really dead…_

"Onee-chan!"_ The small voice rang out somewhere behind her. Small footsteps slapped against the broken pavement as she ran, already pulling out her wand. "_Onee-chan,_ hold on! Yuma's coming!"_

_Kyoko smiled. "Oi, brat," she said, not bothering to look up. She was so tired… "I thought I told you not to call me that."_

_ Now Yuma Chitose was standing over her, her blue eyes wide with concern. Poor little thing, she had had to grow up so much in the past year… "Just hold still, _onee-chan_," she said, "Yuma's right here. Yuma will fix you."_

_ "It's Kyoko," grumbled the red-haired girl as she felt the healing magic wash over her, cool as an ocean wave. "_Kyoko._ Not _onee-chan._ Geez, dumbass, don't you know anything?"_

_ Yuma sniffled and grinned as tears streamed from her eyes, cutting tracks in the dirt and dust on her cheeks. "It's going to be all right now, _onee-cha… _Kyoko-chan."_

_ "There ya go," said Kyoko. "It's about time."_

_A shadow descended over them. Slowly Homura floated down, her feet touching the ground without a sound as her strange, great wings folded and shrank into her back. The ebony bow she carried vanished in a flash of violet light. "Kyoko, Yuma," she said, as stoic as ever. "Are the others…"_

_ "I am still here," said a voice from behind the smoldering wreck of a bus. An elegant young lady stood up, clad all in white, with deep green eyes and hair that was almost colorless. She walked toward them with a dignity that belied the devastation that surrounded her… Oriko Mikuni had proven that she could even look graceful in the midst of an apocalypse. "I believe Nico is still regenerating." She looked at Homura, hardly daring to hope as she asked the question on everyone's mind. "The Demon is dead? You are absolutely sure of it?"_

_ Homura nodded and stretched out her hand. Clenched tightly in her fingers was a translucent black cube with a spindle rammed through the center. "Where's Kyubey?"_

Right here. _The voice echoed through the minds of the four girls as the Incubator appeared, having formed a new body for itself from the very air. _Well done, girls. It's finally over.

_ "For all the good it did," Homura shut her eyes tight and tossed the Curse Seed to Kyubey without looking. "The world is still dying..."_

_ Kyoko wrinkled her nose. It was just like Homura to be gloomy and pessimistic during their victory celebration. She opened her mouth to admonish her, but before she could speak, she felt her heart lurch in her chest and saw a flash before her eyes…_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

She bit her tongue, forcing herself not to scream again. _It's okay. The barrier's still in place. It can't hurt us._

The Demon moaned in that awful voice, spouting its nonsense syllables and spreading its fingers wide as it reached for them.

_It's okay. We're going to be fine. It's safe inside the barrier._

There was a terrible sizzling noise… its fingertips began to smoke as they pressed against the barrier's surface. Its flesh was burning, but it didn't care. Slowly it began to squeeze.

And then its head burst like a melon to the accompaniment of the deafening chatter of an assault rifle… a sound that Kagami had heard in a thousand movies and TV shows, but she had never imagined she would hear in real life. Homura was there in front of the barrier, mercilessly unloading an entire clip of ammo into the monster, riddling its body with bullet holes.

_"Homura!"_ Her voice was lost in the din, but she could have sworn that the Puella Magi looked back for a moment and gave her the briefest of smiles.

_You see?_ said Kyubey from down on the floor, with just the vaguest hint of smugness. _I told you she would be all right._

An impossibly large shape was tearing itself out of the remnants of the Demon's body. What Kagami initially took for multiple heads atop long necks were fingers, five of them along with a thumb, attached to an immense wooden hand with ratcheted ball joints like a doll's. Each fingertip had crude eyes and a mouth carved in it, like a _haniwa_ figure, but they were moving… they cycled through expressions every second: happy, sad, angry, confused, screaming as if in pain… They all began to moan, chorusing in that awful voice, _"Ani voraon nardac itt ute-"_

A tremendous explosion in its palm interrupted the rest. Kagami's jaw dropped open in shock, for Homura had just pulled a rocket launcher out of her shield, as easily as a stage magician pulling a rabbit from a hat. Smoke billowed over the stage in great grey clouds as Homura put the weapon down, its ammunition expended.

"Don't tell me it's still not dead…!" Kagami clutched at her chest, trying to calm her racing heart. She didn't expect Homura to be able to hear, but damn it, it felt good to say _something…_

"I'll be able to tell when the smoke clears," said Homura, scanning the cloud for any signs of movement.

It happened before either of them could react. The fingers loomed out of the cloud, all six faces twisted in anger, and snatched Homura up into the Demon's grip. She let out the smallest gasp of surprise as her feet left the ground…

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_"_Onee-chan!_"_

_ Kyoko's transformation came undone, her battle costume dissolved away. She hurt… she felt a kind of pain she had almost forgotten about, deep within her. Puellae Magi could block out pain, suppress it with their magic. After a while, doing so became almost second nature. But this was an entirely different kind of pain, a lurching, growing, acidic darkness. She groaned, uncomprehending, unable to lift herself off the ground. "Wh-what…"_

_ Then she felt the weight in the palm of her hand, managed to turn her head to look at it… and she understood. Her Soul Gem sat there, no longer bright and shining. Its interior swirled with black clouds, drowning out its normal ruby color. Her face turned pale._

_ At once, the others were beside her, Yuma clutching at her other hand almost hard enough to break it, pouring more and more healing magic into her body as she screamed her name. Oriko fell to her knees, shaking her head in denial, unable to speak. And Homura just stood there, her stoic face finally cracking… she was crying. Kyoko couldn't remember the last time she had- No, wait. She remembered. She remembered all too well. Two years ago, before the nightmare that was Vittoria, when they had lost Sayaka… the night when Mami had told her the truth._

_ "H-hey," she said, forcing a smile. "Knock it off, guys. You're gonna ruin the moment."_

_ "Sakura, you fool!" Oriko's voice was raised in sorrow and anger. That was another rare event… usually she was almost as unflappable as Homura. "Why didn't you tell us you were low on power? We could have done something, we could have-"_

_ "D-didn't know myself until just now," she admitted, smiling genuinely. "Pretty stupid, huh…?"_

_ Homura went cold. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that had just given their last Curse Seed to Kyubey. Now it was too late…_

_ "Just hold on, _onee-chan, _please hold on!" Yuma could barely speak through her tears. Her hands trembled around Kyoko's as she cast another wave of power, but it did nothing._

_ "C'mon, brat…" Kyoko laughed weakly. "Don't wear… yourself out. It's just my time, is all… nothing you can do."_

_ "That's not true! Yuma can fix you, Yuma can-" She broke off in mid-sentence as Oriko laid a hand on her shoulder._

_ "Hey, Homura." The red-haired girl shuddered, feeling strangely light… that feeling of acid inside her was still there, but far away somehow. "Don't worry about it. You didn't know… so it's fine. I did… what I had to do. That's enough."_

_ "Kyoko…" Homura whispered. This couldn't be happening again. Not now, when they had finally won… Memories flashed unbidden into her mind, of another person lying there, inexplicably smiling while their Soul Gem darkened. "No…"_

_ "Yuma-chan?" With the little strength she had left, Kyoko squeezed the younger girl's hands. "You're gonna have to… be strong now. Homura and Oriko and Nico… each of them will be your _onee-chan_ now, so be a good girl and… listen to them, okay?"_

_ Yuma nodded, holding on to Kyoko for dear life. "I… I will."_

_ Grinning, Kyoko closed her eyes. "Thanks, Yuma-chan… you were a great little sister, you know…?" Then she looked back and smiled at Oriko, at Homura, at-_

_She blinked. There was another girl standing there beside Homura. Not Nico, Nico never dressed in pink… This was a Puella Magi Kyoko had never seen before. Her costume was pink and red and white, very frilly, like something from one of those old fairy tales, spotless despite the ruin all around them. She had short pink hair tied up in pigtails, and her smile was so kind and gentle that Kyoko felt a warmer just looking at it. "Who…?" she whispered, confused. There couldn't be a new Puella Magi here, that wasn't possible. And why didn't the others seem to notice her?_

_The new girl stepped forward and knelt down next to Kyoko. She was still smiling at her as if she was an old friend. Her hand extended, clad in a dainty little white glove, and hovered over Kyoko's Soul Gem. The black clouds inside of the jewel gathered up and escaped from it, restoring it to its former glory… and then the Soul Gem itself simply faded away like a dream. The new girl leaned over her, took Kyoko's face in her hands, and placed a soft, feather-light kiss on her forehead…_

Ah,_ thought Kyoko. _So that's it.

_Yuma let out an anguished wail as Kyoko's body grew thin and transparent, then vanished altogether._

_Homura shivered uncontrollably, feeling tears fall down her cheeks. She had seen the look on the other girl's face as Kyoko had looked over her shoulder. She had been there, right beside them, giving Kyoko an act of mercy and comfort in her last moments, as she did with every Puella Magi. Everything seemed to fall away from Homura, disconnecting her from the reality of Kyoko's passing, from the sound of Yuma's crying… She had seen so much death and destruction, more than anyone knew. At times, she felt as if it shouldn't affect her at all, that she should have grown numb to the pain… but seeing that look on Kyoko's face brought everything back. The loss, the hardship, and the bittersweet memory of her closest, dearest friend: the one who could walk next to them without being seen, the greatest of them all, the Puella Magi who had given herself to bring just a little bit of light into the darkness. Something broke inside Homura, and she wept in silence._

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

"No!" Kagami pressed her hands helplessly against the barrier. It flexed under her weight, but wouldn't give… With a cry of frustration she beat against it with her fist. "No, no, no, no! Homura!"

The giant wooden fingers creaked ominously as they constricted around Homura's small body. Only her head protruded from the Demon's fist. She attempted to smile, but it came out as a grimace of pain. "H-Hiiragi-san, stay back… I'll be fine…" She couldn't stop herself from gasping as its grip tightened.

"The hell you will!" Kagami looked around frantically. There had to be something she could use, some kind of weapon. Her eyes fell on Kyubey… "You!"

He tilted his head. _Yes?_ The tone of his voice was appallingly unconcerned.

Kagami snatched him up off the floor and stared him right in his beady red eyes. "Make me a Puella Magi. I've got to do something to help her!"

_I'm sorry,_ said Kyubey. _I can't do that._

"What the hell do you mean, you can't?" she shouted, fighting the urge to shake him by the neck. "I don't care what I have to do, just let me fight that thing!"

_That's not possible, _said Kyubey. _You must not become a Puella Magi, Kagami Hiiragi, not under any circumstances._

"Why not?" This time she _did_ shake him, her voice rising in her state of frenzy. "_Why can't I do anything?_"

_Our entire mission depends on your remaining as a normal human being. It's imperative that you stay the way you are._

"Screw your mission!" Kagami dropped him and grabbed her school bag by its strap. "If you're just gonna sit there and let Homura die, that's your problem! I'm doing what's right!"

With that, she charged at the barrier wall, expecting to slam into it head-on. Instead the field of violet energy rippled like water and let her pass through harmlessly. Picking up speed, she ran across the stage, gripping the strap of her bag so tight that her knuckles whitened. _I've got to help somehow._ Her pigtails streamed behind her like banners as the wind whipped at her face. _Got to do something…_ Three meters away from the Demon, and closing fast. It had all its attention focused on squeezing Homura to death, so it took no notice of the tiny human making a reckless dash in its direction. Two meters… No matter what Kyubey said, she had to do this. For Ayano, for Misao, and for Homura… they were all counting on her, all counting on this one desperate strike. One meter, and she held the bag out to her side, letting it build momentum as she took the last few strides. Finally, she skidded to a stop on her heel, and swung with all her might at the Demon's wooden body as she shouted, "_Let her GO!"_

A great shudder passed through the thing's body as a great splintering _crack_ rung out across the stage. The heavy bag had scored a mark beneath one of its knuckles, and orange blood began to well up in the wound. Kagami braced herself and prepared to swing again, but before she could react, the two smallest of its six fingers flicked out, petulantly swatting her aside like a gnat.

Homura screamed. _"Hiiragi!"_

Kagami sailed backwards through the air, over the edge of the stage, and slamming into the back of one of the enormous chairs in the front row. The frayed velvet cushion only absorbed some of the impact… it forced the air from her lungs, making her see stars as she slid down into the seat, dazed and unable to move.

Loud whispering filled her ears. Wooden arms grew out of the seat cushion in a circle all around her, dozens of them. They pounced before she could pick herself up, seizing her wrists and ankles and holding her spread-eagled. More hands emerged, grabbing at her waist, her shoulders, her neck, even her pigtails. Each hand began to glow…

Kagami let out a howl of pain. They were leeching something from her body, forcing it out through her skin, something warm and precious that she couldn't identify, but that she somehow knew she could not live without… and what was left behind was cold, so cold that it burned her from within like frostbite. She strained and struggled with every ounce of resistance she could muster, but the hands would not release her. Not until she was drained dry… _No, _thought Kagami in a blind panic. _Have to do something. _Her muscles screamed at her in protest as she fought uselessly to break free, her back arching with the effort. More hands were piling onto her; the drain was increasing. _I have to-_

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_"Akemi, you need to look at this."_

_ Homura didn't answer. She sat on a piece of upturned concrete, her head in her hands. She had stopped crying some minutes ago, but now she simply felt empty, hollowed out._

_ That feeling, she knew, was all too familiar to Nico Kanna, the platinum-haired girl now approaching her with Kyubey on her shoulder. Nico had always been the coolest and calmest of her group of friends; much like Homura, she had a reputation as "the quiet one". Now that description fit her more than ever… since the other Pleiades Saints had fallen, she never spoke an unnecessary word, and never stopped wearing that tiny, wounded little smile, which was much like Kyubey's in an extraordinarily unsettling way. Her body was unmarred by any scratches or battle scars; due to her unique abilities, she could regenerate herself from injuries that would kill any normal Puella Magi twice over. _

_ "Not now," said Homura without looking up. She was in no mood for regrouping plans, or whatever Nico wanted to talk about. She was so tired, she just wanted to rest…_

I'm sorry, Homura, but you really do need to see this, _said Kyubey from his perch on the girl's shoulder._

_Homura drew herself up to her full height and stared right into Nico's icy blue eyes. "We just lost Kyoko," she said, trying to keep her voice even. "I'll look at whatever it is _later._ Do you understand?"_

_ As always, Nico was unmoved. She tapped a few panels on her favorite old smart phone, now so weather-beaten that not even her magic could restore its appearance for long. Between the two girls a shimmering holographic globe appeared, a model of the Earth. "I was just trying to reach Valencia in Ecuador, to confirm that all of Vittoria's tendrils were destroyed," she said. "I didn't get a response."_

_ "She may not have made it," said Homura flatly, now numb to the possibility of yet another death. "Ramos was her partner, wasn't she? Did you try her?"_

_ "Yes, no answer. So then I tried to reach Nyota in Kiambu, then Robard in Cannes-"_

_ "Get to the point," snapped Homura. Weren't there more important things happening than a communications blackout?_

Look at the globe, Homura, _said Kyubey._

_ She looked, and saw nothing of interest… the Earth was still the Earth, apart from the pockmarked scars of Vittoria's presence marring the continents. "I'm looking. What am I seeing?"_

_ "Do you see the red marker positioned in Japan?" Nico tapped the screen and zoomed in on the Japanese islands. After some time, the marker separated into four distinct red beacons amid the field of blue._

_ "Yes. What about it?"_

_ Nico's face was bathed in the blue light of her phone's projector. It threw odd patterns of shadows across her pale features. "I thought we might be having problems with our comm network, so I wrote a program to bounce a signal off the remaining satellites in orbit," she said. "That signal was configured to search for Soul Gems. What you're looking at are the results."_

_ Homura's veins filled with ice._

_ Nico tapped the screen one last time, and markers written in kanji appeared under each of the red lights: _**_Akemi. Chitose. Kanna. Mikuni._**

_"All the others are gone," said Nico, without a trace of emotion. "We're all that's left."_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

Kagami slowly came back to her senses to the sensation of someone shaking her shoulders.

"Hiiragi-san, please wake up… Hiiragi-san! Please…" It was Homura.

Kagami opened her eyes and immediately shut them again, feeling a stabbing pain from the brightness of the summer sun. Her whole body ached as if she had just run a marathon, and her skin was prickling weirdly. She swallowed, licked her dry lips, and tried to speak. "H… Homura…?"

A relieved breath was let out above her. "Thank God," she whispered. "Hiiragi-san, that was-"

"R-Really stupid, I know…" said Kagami, with a levity she didn't in any way feel. "Are… we all okay…? Did you… kill the Demon?"

Homura's fingers dug into her shoulders. There was a long pause before she answered. "The… the Demon is dead. Minegeshi-san and Kusakabe-san are all right, just unconscious. But Hiiragi-san… you shouldn't have done that…"

"H-Had to help," said Kagami, cracking open one of her eyes again. "You're my friend, and I needed to… return the favor, you know?"

To her surprise, Homura's normally stoic fast was aghast with concern. "Hiiragi-san, there's something you need to know. I didn't kill that Demon," she said.

"Huh?" Kagami blinked and tried to sit up, but her body wouldn't move. "Did Kyubey-"

The other girl shook her head. "No. Neither of us killed it… You did."

**END OF CHAPTER 4**


	5. Chapter 5: It's Not What It Looks Like

**CHAPTER 5: It's Not What It Looks Like**

**2007**

**Ryouou High**

Kagami stared up at Homura, letting that information sink in. _Neither of us killed it… you did._ It should have had an effect on her, but she only felt numbness… her limbs felt like someone had replaced her muscles with lead. _You did._ That was impossible... she had been helpless in the grip of those hand creatures, barely even able to struggle, and on top of that she had blacked out after a few seconds. All she had been able to do to the Demon was-

Homura's eyes widened in concern as Kagami inexplicably started to laugh. "Hiiragi-san?"

"Ha ha... heh… I'm fine," gasped Kagami, though even laughing was an effort. "Honestly, you should be thanking me. Turns out killing them is easy. You don't even need magic, you just have to hit them with school bags…"

"Hiiragi-san…"

She smiled. "Really, Homura, stop joking around and tell me what happened. I missed the end of it."

The dark-haired girl bit her lip. "I wasn't joking," she said. "Your hurt it with your bag, and made it angry. When the Spawn started feeding on you-"

"The hands were Spawn?" A shiver of revulsion traveled up and down Kagami's spine. "I thought they were little worm things, like on the train…"

"Those were the Spawn of a different Demon." Her grip tightened just slightly on Kagami's shoulders. "I heard you scream, and tried to break free, but you- There was a shockwave, an enormous surge of power that erupted from the center of your body. It ripped the Demon and its Spawn apart… I've never seen or felt anything like it. Hiiragi-san, this is serious… I don't know exactly what's happening, but this is the third time you've dispelled magic without intention. Whatever power you have, I think it's growing."

"Power?" Kagami frowned and lolled her head to the side. She was so tired… it was very tempting to just pass out again. "I don't feel like I have any kind of power at all. I feel… ordinary. The same as I've always been. Nothing special."

A cool hand brushed Kagami's hair from her forehead. "That's not true," whispered Homura. "You _are_ special. I've known that since the first-"

"_Onee-chan…?_" The voice came from the open egress, disbelieving. It was swiftly followed by a thump and a clatter as someone dropped their books and schoolbag on the top stair.

Kagami glanced up at the doorway and froze… Tsukasa was standing there, white as a sheet. It wasn't clear if she had noticed Ayano and Misao lying peacefully against the wall to her side… she was staring at Kagami and Homura as if they were- _Wait a second, _she thought with sudden clarity. _Where am I? What am I lying on?_ It wasn't the concrete of the rooftop, that was for sure, it was warm and soft, like a pillow… or someone's lap.

Someone's lap… The light dawned. Homura's lap, to be precise.

_Oh, crap!_ "Tsukasa, wait!" She struggled to pull herself upright, her whole face flushing red. Her body still felt weak and exhausted, but damned if she was going to let her sister walk away with the wrong idea. "Tsukasa, it's not what it looks like!"

"I-I just wanted to know if you and Akemi-san w-wanted to w-walk back to class with us," Tsukasa stammered. Displaying her own vivid blush, Tsukasa started to turn around. "I d-didn't know you were- I'll just be going, beg your pardon…"

"Hiiragi-san!" Homura's voice was strong and commanding… perhaps a little too strong, as Tsukasa jumped about a half-inch of the ground. "Please wait. Your sister and her friends fainted, and they require medical attention… I need you to find Nurse Amahara at once. Can you do that?"

"Y-yes, of course, _senpai!_ Right away!" said Tsukasa as she dropped into a bow, in her nervousness apparently forgetting that she and Homura were in the same grade. "Hold on, _onee-chan_, I'll be right back!" With that, she scooped up her bag and books and fled down the stairs.

"Goddammit," said Kagami, squeezing her eyes shut. "How are we gonna explain this?"

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_Homura stared numbly at the four red markers superimposed on the holographic image of Japan. Her mind seemed to have stopped functioning altogether. How could she respond? What could she possibly say?_

_After several seconds of horrible silence, an explanation occurred to her, wild and desperate, but preferable to believing what Nico was telling her. "Check again."_

_ "I did," said Nico._

_ "Then check a third time. Your equipment must be glitched."_

_ "This is the seventh scan I've run, with the same result," said Nico. "It's not a glitch, and my tech doesn't lie."_

_ "Impossible," said Homura. She wanted so badly to avert her eyes, to look at something, anything else, but she couldn't tear herself away from those markers. "It's impossible. Kyubey, even if there _were_ that few of us left, you would-"_

I'm afraid it's true, Homura,_ said Kyubey. His frozen smile looked more ghastly than ever in the light of the hologram. _You four are the last Puellae Magi. I can't make any more contracts in this world… the laws of causality have been too badly damaged.

_"So that's it, then," said Nico calmly. "Once we all run out of power, the Demons will be unstoppable. There's no hope left."_

_ The urge to hurt Nico, to wipe that blank, indifferent expression off her face boiled up inside Homura. She started to raise her hand… and then she reached up and touched the ribbon, as she had all the times before when someone had said those words. "No," she said, fixing the blonde girl with her most piercing stare. "You're wrong. There's _always_ hope. No matter what happens."_

_ "Look around you, Akemi," said Nico, throwing her arms wide and gesturing at the ruins around them, which stretched far as the eye could see. Anyone else would have raised their voice for the tirade, but Nico kept the same even monotone. "It's all rubble. It's the same in every town, every city in the world. We fought Vittoria for a year and a half, and this was all we could save… There's only four of us left. How many people are left, living in despair? One billion? Two? With all that suffering, in a week we'll be overrun with more Demons than we can count. It's _over_. She already killed the Earth… all we're fighting to protect now is its corpse."_

_ "Stop," Homura spoke in a whisper, but there was iron in it. "Just stop."_

_ "And we could have prevented all this, if you had just-"_

_ Homura clenched her fist so hard that her fingernails dug into her palm. "Kanna, stop talking. _Now_."_

That's enough, you two,_ said Kyubey, hopping down from Nico's shoulder. _Fighting between yourselves will only corrupt your Soul Gems faster. We need to come up with some plan of action, even if it's just a temporary one. Oriko, you've been awfully quiet… do you have any ideas?

_"Shh," said Oriko. She knelt on a piece of cracked and broken pavement several feet away, cradling Yuma in her arms like a baby. "Don't wake her, she needs to rest."_

_ "I'm sorry, Mikuni-san," Homura looked down at her feet, feeling ashamed of herself for coming that close to losing control. "But we do need your guidance. You're the one who has led us all this time…"_

_ The white Magi laughed, but it was a hollow sound. "Guidance? All I have are visions and instincts… they are all I have ever had."_

_ "That's not true," said Nico, as if her outburst had never happened. "You kept us all together, and focused on the same goal. No other Puella Magi could do that."_

_ Homura winced, but said nothing._

_ "I can try to see what is ahead," Oriko said with a frown, "but I cannot guarantee it will be anything helpful."_

It's better than going ahead blind,_ said Kyubey, seating himself and tucking his tail around his body._

_ "Very well." Oriko nodded and closed her eyes. Homura felt the hair on the back her of her neck begin to rise as her power gathered, surrounding her body in a white aura. When she opened her eyes again, they were focused somewhere far away, her green irises swirling with fog. "_The Demon is dead,_" said Oriko, clutching Yuma's small body tighter to herself as she spoke in sepulchral tones. "_However, her power still bleeds… Her essence spreads through the countless worlds beyond this one, like poison through a vein. It seeks the focal points, that it may cause the end of all things… The stars above will fall, and all will come to ruin..._"_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

Under heavy protest, Kagami had been carried down to the nurse's office and forced into a bed. Two upperclassmen were recruited to fetch Ayano and Misao, who were now resting comfortably in the two beds to her right. Bandages had been applied to Misao's cheek and Ayano's knuckles. Thankfully, apart from those, there were no injuries to be attended to.

"Heat stroke?" Fuyuki Amahara looked up from her computer, raising an eyebrow.

"I believe so," said Homura, standing at her side.

Kagami had to give Homura credit; she could lie to a teacher like a pro when the occasion called for it. _I should learn to do that,_ she thought to herself. _It could come in handy._

"I left to retrieve one of my textbooks, and when I came back the three of them were unconscious," Homura continued. "I don't know how Kusakabe-san and Minegishi-san were injured… perhaps they fell when they fainted."

"I… suppose so, but I still don't see how it's possible," said the nurse. "It's barely 23 degrees outside."

"Can I go now?" said Kagami, squirming under her blankets. "I'm, uh, feeling a lot better." That wasn't exactly true; she was still exhausted, but there was work to do, tests to study for, a student council meeting to attend…

"No you don't, Hiiragi." Nurse Amahara gave her a withering glare. "I've already informed Hikaru that you're to stay in bed. If you try to sneak back to class, you'll just be sent right back here."

_Besides,_ said Kyubey, seated in the windowsill, _you're still not fully recovered from the Spawn._

Kagami wondered why Nurse Amahara didn't seem to notice the odd little creature, but she figured that calling attention to him would be a bad idea. No sense in making the nurse think she was delusional on top of everything else.

"Akemi, you may go back to class if you feel like it," said the nurse, rising from her chair. "There really isn't much else to do other than let them rest."

"I'd rather stay here," said Homura. "Hiiragi-san is my friend… I want to be sure she's all right."

"Y-You don't have to do that!" blurted Kagami, clutching at her blanket.

"I want to," Homura said simply. "I'll stay."

"Very well, then," Nurse Amahara smiled. "You can stay. I'll go tell Hikaru to excuse you as well."

"Thank you," said Homura, bowing low.

"Now what is all that noise?" Dimly they could hear some kind of commotion outside. The nurse turned to the office door…

… and was nearly hit in the face as it was thrown open by a blue-haired blur, who raced across the room and threw herself onto Kagami's bed before anyone could stop her. "_Kagamiiiiiin!"_

"Now really, Izumi!" Amahara's scolding went completely unheard.

Kagami rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling. "I should have figured it would be you. Keep it down, you'll wake the others up."

Konata pouted and crossed her arms. "Geez, why do you have to be so mean, Kagamin? I was just worried about you!"

"Yeah, yeah. You're worried that if I pass out, I won't let you copy my homework."

"_Onee-chan…?_" Tsukasa leaned into the doorframe timidly. "Are you… feeling any better?"

Kagami's smile grew wider. "Lots. Thank you, Tsukasa… come on in. Is that all right, _sensei?_"

Nurse Amahara shook her head in mock defeat. "I'll give you ten minutes, then you really should get some rest. I need to talk to Hikaru anyway… Excuse me."

"I should leave the three of you alone as well," said Homura, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I'll wait out in the hall." She bowed and started to follow after the nurse.

"Akemi, wait!" Konata looked up from the bed and got to her feet. "Akemi, I just wanted to say thank you… Kagamin's so stubborn, she probably would have laid up there all day if you hadn't come along. You really came through for her." And then, to everyone's surprise, Konata bowed so low that her long hair fell past her shoulders and touched the floor.

"I want to thank you too, Akemi-san," said Tsukasa, matching the bow with one of her own.

A slight pink tinge colored Homura's cheeks as she bowed to them in return. "You're… you're welcome, Izumi-san, Hiiragi-san." Then she turned and stepped out of sight into the hall before anyone could say another word, closing the door behind her.

Konata waited a few seconds, then very slowly turned back to Kagami, cat-smiling in that infuriating way of hers. "Now then, Kagamin… how about you tell us what's _really _going on?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Kagami felt her face growing warm.

"Come on, Kagamin, heat stroke? _Really?_ Even if that _were_ true, it doesn't explain how Tsukasa found you…" Konata's smile grew impossibly wider, now inviting a comparison to the Cheshire Cat. It was clear she was loving this. "Lying in another girl's lap…"

The warmth escalated to a full burn as Kagami glared daggers at her sister. "_Tsukasa!_"

* * *

><p>Voices filtered through the office door, raised in an argument. Homura tuned them out, leaning against the wall and staring down at her feet. She hardly noticed when Kyubey phased through the wall next to her.<p>

_Kagami seems to be normal enough,_ he said as he leapt up onto her shoulder. _No apparent physical or mental damage. The Spawn didn't have nearly long enough to steal her Heart._

_ I know,_ she thought at him.

_So why do you look troubled?_

_You wouldn't understand._

_You're right. _He heaved the mental equivalent of a sigh. _Human emotions are such a mystery._

_I miss the others._

Kyubey blinked. She was talking about what was bothering her though she had just admitted she knew he wouldn't comprehend it… this _was_ serious. _You do? Why now?_

_Seeing her with them… her friends. They understand her; they're there for her when she needs them. In a way, I'm envious._

_ That's not like you, Homura._

_ I know._

_ It's illogical to feel that way. You still have me._

Homura frowned. A show of sympathy from an Incubator? Not likely, it was merely a statement of a fact. _That's hardly much of a comfort, but even so… thank you. _That last thought was sent to him with extreme reluctance.

_ You're welcome_, said Kyubey, the reluctance flying over his head._ For what?_

_For being here. You're all I have left…_

That wasn't all that was bothering her, of course, but she would never tell Kyubey that. Loneliness was hard enough for him to understand. Her _other_ problem would be beyond him entirely…

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

_Oriko began to topple over the instant the fog cleared from her eyes. The other two Magi were at her side in an instant… Homura was surprised at how gently Nico took Yuma from her arms, nestling her small head in the crook of her elbow._

_ "Mikuni, are you all right?" Gingerly Homura put an arm around her._

_ "I will be fine, Akemi-san." She looked more pale than usual; her visions always took a portion of her energy, but this one seemed to have drained her completely._

_ Finding a seat on a relatively flat stretch of ground, Nico sat down, hefting Yuma into a more comfortable position. "So what did all that mean?"_

_ "Other worlds," said Oriko. "Vittoria's power will give birth to Demons in timelines and realities where they should never exist… worlds without magic, without any way to defend themselves. They will appear there, and seek out the Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi in each one…"_

They're trying to recreate what happened here,_ said Kyubey, siting down at her feet._

_ "There is more. One universe has… you could say they are the 'prime' equivalents of the Hiiragis, the originals. Those two are key to the survival of all other parallel worlds… for whatever reason, all revolves around them."_

_ "Focal points," whispered Homura._

_ Oriko nodded gravely. "And if those focal points should be disrupted…"_

_ "No," said Homura, gripping Oriko's arm so tightly that she winced. "We have to stop them. There has to be a way."_

_ Bright green eyes pierced Homura to her very soul, and she couldn't repress a shudder._

"_There is only one way," said Oriko. "Someone must travel to their universe and keep them safe. And whoever it is… will never be able to return."_

_Nico tilted her head back and gazed up at the ever-present ceiling of dark grey clouds, at the bleeding wounds in the sky… Her lips curled into a rueful smile. "As if anyone would _want_ to come back to this." Then she closed her eyes and said nothing more._

"_Akemi-san," said Oriko, placing her hand over Homura's Soul Gem, "it has to be you. No one else has the kind of magic that you do."_

_Homura shook her head. "You're wrong. I can't do it, Mikuni. I don't have the power to-"_

"_You will." A soft glow enveloped their hands, and warmth began to spread from one body to the other…_

"_Mikuni, what are you doing?" Homura tried to pull her hand away. This wasn't just dangerous, this was insane… It had been discussed before whether or not a Puella Magi could grant power to another at the cost of her own. This was one of the many options brought up during the battles against Vittoria, but it had never been attempted… their numbers were simply too few to risk it. _

"_Take it," Oriko whispered as she held on tight, tears forming in her eyes. "Take power from me. My magic will be of no use in the times to come… and if you do not go, every world will suffer the same fate as ours…"_

"_I-" Homura swallowed and dropped her voice to a whisper. "Oriko, I can't. I've… I've traveled in time before, but each time I did-"_

I know,_ said the other girl's voice in her mind. She held the index finger of her free hand up to her lips, her eyes flicking over at Nico for a moment. _I know of your suffering, Homura Akemi. In my dreams, I have seen visions of us all in other times and other worlds, strange and terrible events. In some worlds, we fought each other. In others, we never met at all. More than once, I have watched myself die at your hands… And I have seen the paths you have taken, the heartbreak you went through to protect the one that you love. That person… I can never see their face, but I have seen how deeply you felt for them. The torment you experienced should have destroyed you, but you survived it. That is why I know you can do this, Homura. You are the strongest of us all… I know you will not fail. I believe in you.

_A tight knot formed in Homura's throat. _Oriko…

_Oriko's delicate hand squeezed hers. _Don't forget…_ she began, trusting Homura to say the next line. It was a creed, a sacred prayer that every Puella Magi knew without knowing _how_ they knew… it became ingrained in their hearts the moment they made their contracts._

Always… _Homura swallowed, forcing herself not to cry. _Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you.

_The next line was Oriko's. _As long as you remember her…

_And together they recited the final line: _You are not alone.

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Somewhere in Japan**

They gathered together in deepest darkness, for none of them could stand the light. Towering figures, their spindly hands folded underneath their spotless robes. All were identical to the naked eye; they told each other apart by wavelengths of energy that were beyond the reach of any human senses or technology. The upper portions of their chalk-white heads simply disappeared into random, shifting patterns of light.

"_Serafino and Geppetto are dead,_" said the Third. There was no pity or regret in its words, it was merely stating a fact.

"_We know,_" said the Sixth. _"This presents a problem. There are only seven of us now. How will we do it?_"

The Fourth was silent, as always.

"_Simple,_" said the Seventh. Its voice cracked with barely repressed glee. "_We kill the Puella Magi. Kill the stranger. She does not belong here. She keeps us from the focal points. Spill her blood. Rip her, tear her body apart, and take the focal points for ourselves._"

"_It won't be that easy,_" said the Second. This one's voice was almost playful, but with a cruel, sardonic edge. "_But there is good news, isn't there?_"

"_Yes,_" said the Eighth, its words smooth as silk. "_Gepetto's Spawn managed to feed on one of them before they were killed. The Puella Magi was unable to stop them. She is not invincible._"

The Fourth was silent, as always.

"_Let me go,_" begged the Seventh. "_I will feast on her, snuff out her light, break her bones…_"

"_No,_" said the Ninth, and all the others fell silent. "_You will go,_" it said to the Second. "_A direct attack will only alert them. We must be subtle, quiet. You are the one among us most suited for this._"

"_I will,_" said the Second.

"_We will part for now,_" said the Ninth to them all. _"Patience. All will come to ruin. The stars above will fall." _There was no need to say anything more.

The Nine broke apart and melted back into the darkness.

**END OF CHAPTER 5**


	6. Chapter 6: Are You Still Watching?

_Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to **tehninjarox**, whose_ Mahou Shoujo Requiem _AMV inspired me to finish this chapter in record time. You're amazing, man, truly a master of your craft._**  
><strong>

**CHAPTER 6: Are You Still Watching?**

**2007**

**Ryouou High**

"I can hardly believe it," said Konata with delight. Her chin was in her hands, her elbows resting on the bed. "Who would have thought? Our little Kagamin…"

Kagami gripped the blankets so hard she could have torn them to shreds. "_Sh-shut up!_ I told you, it's not like that!"

"Really, I didn't think you were into romance at all, let alone with another girl… Never thought you would swing that way, Kagamin."

"I don't! And what is _that_ supposed to mean? I like romance just fine!" Kagami shot her friend her most ferocious glare.

"I just didn't think that black, grouchy, shriveled-up heart of yours had the capacity to-" She was interrupted as Kagami flung a pillow into her face at high velocity.

"_Onee-chan_," said Tsukasa timidly, embarrassed even to be bringing up the subject. "If there _is_ something going on, you can tell us…"

Kagami swallowed. "Honestly, Tsukasa, there's nothing." Lying to her sister made her feel sick inside… she desperately hoped it didn't show. "I just… got really light-headed all of a sudden, and she caught me. Maybe I stood up too fast, I don't know… but it's not like _that._" She looked down at the crumpled blankets, her cheeks entirely too warm. "B-Besides, if I liked someone, I'd let you know… you know that."

"Deny it all you want, Kagamin!" said Konata, picking herself up off the floor. "The mysterious transfer student has awakened a secret, forbidden love… ahhh, it's just like a shoujo manga…!" Her eyes sparkled, and a dreamy, faraway look settled onto her face.

"I don't even want to _know_ what you're fantasizing about," groaned Kagami, slumping back onto her remaining pillow. "Listen, you. Don't go spreading around rumors about us, got it?"

"_Onee-chan!_ You know Kona-chan wouldn't do that!" Tsukasa looked aghast at the very idea.

"Of course not, Kagamin." Smiling, Konata patted one of Kagami's knees. "Whatever it is you two are up to, I'll respect your privacy… it's _soooo_ much better being one of the only two to know your dirty little secret!"

"If I weren't so tired, I'd smack you for that."

"So that's how it is, huh? You're _deredere_ for Akemi, but _tsuntsun_ for me, huh?"

"_As if!_"

"Is everything all right in here?" The door had opened, and Homura was leaning in… Kyubey clung to her shoulder, somehow staying in place despite the sudden sharp angle. "I heard quite a bit of yelling…"

Konata moved with a speed belying her petite figure. Before anyone could stop her, she threw herself onto Kagami, wrapping her arms around her and embracing her in an entirely too affectionate manner. _"Nooooo!_" she wailed in mock agony, rubbing herself against her friend's body. "You can't have her! Kagamin is _mai_ waifu!"

"Get _off_ me!" There was a loud, painful-sounding _smack_ as Kagami found enough strength to slap Konata across the cheek.

Tsukasa's jaw dropped open. _"Onee-chan!_ Konata, are you all right?_"_

Homura tensed, fearing the worst and preparing to summon her Soul Gem… _No. No. Kyubey said she was fine, they couldn't have-_

But then Konata started to laugh, ignoring the large red handprint on her face. "That's our Kagamin! Classic _tsuntsun…_ you really _are_ feeling better."

"E-everything's fine, Homura," said Kagami, flushing and trying to regain her breath. "Konata's just being annoying, as usual."

Saying a silent prayer of thanks, Homura let herself breathe again and tried to look amused.

"We should probably get back to class and let you, ah, _rest._" Giving Kagami a very obvious and ribald wink, Konata stood and gathered up her bag. "C'mon, Tsukasa."

Tsukasa still looked rattled by her sister's unexpected display of temper, but she nodded. "S-see you later, _onee-chan_. Do you think you'll be able to walk to the station later? We can take the bus if you want, or I can call Dad and-"

Kagami sighed. "I'm sure I'll be okay by then, don't worry about it. Go back to class before Kuroi-_sensei_ worries."

"I'll be sure to get your notes and classwork from Sakuraba-_sensei_, too. And I'll tell the-"

Classic Tsukasa. "Just _go_ already!"

The two girls turned and began to walk out of the office. Tsukasa gave Homura a very odd, fleeting look as they brushed past her… but she was gone before Kagami could ask about it. The door clicked shut, and the room fell silent, save for the heavy breathing from the sleeping Misao and Ayano.

"Hiiragi-san?" said Homura quietly.

"Yeah? What is it?"

The dark-haired girl fidgeted a bit, avoiding looking directly at Kagami. "Does Izumi-san really think I'm trying to-"

"_No!_ God, no." Kagami waved her hand in a noncommittal sort of way. "That's just her warped sense of humor. Don't worry about it."

"I'm sorry." She sat down and folded her hands in her lap. "It was a silly question."

An uncomfortable silence hung between them for a few moments, broken only by the faint sounds of students coming and going outside.

"So, uh…" _Come on, Kagami, think of _something_ to talk about! This is getting weird… _"You said before that you and Kyubey came from another world… how did you both end up here?"

Homura stared down at the ring on her third finger. "My magic normally allows me to move through time… moving through worlds was far more difficult, and it took the help of another Puella Magi's power to accomplish. It's not something I can do again."

"You mean you can't go home?" Kagami pulled her blankets up around herself, shivering.

"No. Your world is my home now. I can't go back."

"But what about your friends, your family?"

Homura's eyes disappeared into shadow beneath her bangs.

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**Mitakihara**

I don't want to go,_ she thought to herself._

You have to,_ said a small, persistent voice in her mind._

I don't want to be lonely again.

You're used to being lonely,_ said the voice._

_Homura's hand rested upon the clockwork shield on her left arm. Its weight was oddly comforting; she hadn't realized how much she had missed it in the two years since it had last been used. Power surged within it, waiting to be unleashed. The shield had never carried such vast amounts of energy before… she could feel the tingling in her fingertips even through its cool metal surface. Everything she required was stored inside its pocket space: her weapons and ammunition, a tent and sleeping bag in case she needed emergency shelter, food and rations from Yuma, a tablet from Nico programmed with essential information… and Oriko's gift of power. She was all ready to leave; all that was left to do was to turn the shield over, and then she would be gone._

_ The others stood together, watching and waiting. Yuma was awake now. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy from crying, but she had done her best to clean her face. Nico's hand was on her head, right between the cat ears on her hat. Her other hand supported Oriko, whose battle costume had faded back into her tattered old Shirome High uniform. The white Magi looked weak and paler than ever, but she had steadfastly refused to lie down and rest... She wanted to be awake and standing, in order to say goodbye._

Aren't you ready, Homura? _Kyubey said from his perch on her shoulder. _Why are you hesitating?_ He was coming with her, of course. She would have preferred the company of almost anyone else, but the fact was that she needed Kyubey, for only he could safely dispose of any Curse Seeds she found in the other world._

_ "Homura-_onee-chan?_ Is something wrong?" Yuma's wide blue eyes stared at her. Wide blue eyes that she would never see again…_

Stop it, _said her inner voice._ Don't think about it, just do it. The longer you hesitate, the harder it will be.

_"Go on, Akemi," said Nico. "We'll be fine."_

_ Far from reassuring her, that made Homura's stomach turn in knots. Her hand shook upon the shield. "I…"She couldn't bear to look at them. What was she doing leaving them behind, the people she had fought aside for so long? Her sisters-in-arms, her friends…_

This is no different than when you lost _her,_ or Sayaka, or Mami, or Kyoko, _said her inner voice. _You have to keep going. You have to move on.

_ "Akemi-san," Oriko whispered, her voice carrying in the awful, grim silence of the ruined city. "Please do not worry about us. We will fight on, with all of our strength… we know that you will do the same."_

_ "Believe in us," said Nico. That small, wounded smile of hers wavered for just an instant, and something glimmered in her eyes._

_ "Yuma's going to keep everyone going." The green-haired girl nodded proudly and clutched her staff to her chest. "So do your best, Homura-_onee-chan_…"_

Do your best,_ said her inner voice. _Do your best.

_ Homura swallowed, put on the bravest face that she could, and turned the shield over._

_ She and Kyubey fell backwards, time roaring in their ears like water as it rushed past them. Homura's previous travels had been painless and near-instant, but this was something else entirely; the time stream had become a raging river, bucking and tossing the two small figures as they plunged into its depths. Disjointed, broken images bled past them like pages torn from picture books, fragments of other streams, other places, impossible to comprehend. Homura had to shut her eyes; there was too much motion, too many things twisting and turning in on themselves in ways human eyes were never meant to see. Endlessly falling, battered and beaten by the river, only her magic keeping them intact… _Something's wrong_, she screamed inside her head. _Something's wrong! I knew I shouldn't have done it again, now it's all breaking apart… I've destroyed time…

_The roaring in her ears reached ear-splitting volume. Now it sounded not like water, but countless voices blended together, all talking at once. Words that made no sense but were deathly important cut into her like a million tiny knives. Homura screamed silently as she tumbled through the river of shattering time; she was beyond caring, she just wanted it to end…_

_ And then she slammed into something unyielding as if she had just fallen from a great distance, her transformation breaking at the same instant the breath was driven from her lungs. Ground, solid ground… she had never been so grateful to feel it underneath her. She lay there shuddering, half her face pressed to the soil, blades of something cool and scratchy and fragrant against her cheek… she inhaled the scent, and it took a moment to remember what it was._

_ Grass… fresh, green, living grass._

_ She was lying on a hill, somewhere quiet and isolated, judging by the lack of streetlights and engine noises. A chorus of cicadas was singing its incessant droning song; it was summer. Slowly Homura turned herself over…_

_ The battle against Vittoria had gone on for so long that she had grown used to the ever-present ceiling of low-hanging grey clouds in the sky. So the sight of the canopy of velvety blackness dotted by a million twinkling lights took her breath away… The stars… she remembered the stars, and she remembered how their brilliance had once glittered off of a great golden bow, wielded by a Goddess who cast the darkness away with arrows of light. She had become one with those stars, that beautiful and terrible Goddess whose ribbon Homura wore…_

Are you here as well? _she thought, tears streaming down her face and reflecting the countless lights above. _Are you still watching over me?

Homura? I think we made it._ A small white paw pressed against her knee. The Incubator's tone grew as close to actual concern as he could manage. _Homura, are you all right? Are you injured?

No, _she answered softly. _I'm fine. I'll be able to move in a few minutes.

Good. Whenever you're ready.

_ Homura simply laid there for a while, savoring the feeling of summer grass against her back, and the sight of the glorious night sky that she would never take for granted again._

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

"I have no family," said Homura, her face hidden in darkness. "My friends, the ones that survived the last battle… they couldn't come with me."

"Why…?" Kagami's voice was barely a whisper. "Why would you leave them and your whole world behind?"

"To protect you and your sister," she said simply.

"But… I still don't understand. What is it about us that makes us so important?"

"Forgive me, Hiiragi-san. I never did get a chance to finish my explanation." Homura brushed back her hair as she leaned down, reaching into her school bag. She withdrew the tablet and turned it on with a stroke of her fingertip. The black slate emitted a warm electronic hum and shone a pillar of light up from its surface, in which an image began to form…

_Are you sure this is a wise idea, Homura?_ said Kyubey. He had taken a seat at the foot of Kagami's bed.

"She has to know. Hiiragi-san, if you would, picture the multiverse as a tower." As Homura spoke, she manipulated the image, shaping it like a sculptor. "The tower is infinitely tall, and composed of countless floors." Slowly the tower resolved itself at her touch, tall and featureless and spindly, made of white blocks stacked together. "Your world is one floor…" A small section of the tower lit up, its blocks turning blue. "And our world is another." Another section turned red.

Kagami bit her lip and nodded. It was difficult to focus when something that looked like an escaped Star Trek prop was displaying real holograms right in front of her… but she forced herself to listen carefully. "I'm with you so far."

"If the multiverse is a tower," said Homura, moving her hands down to the base, "then you and Tsukasa are its foundation. If that foundation is removed, or destroyed…"

Kagami's eyes widened in horror as the tower broke apart. Countless little white blocks, tumbling and falling as if scattered by a child's tantrum…

_That's one of the reasons I can't make contracts with either of you,_ said Kyubey. _It's critical to the survival of the mutliverse that you and your sister continue living normal, healthy lives. We can't let you fight Demons with us… the risk is far too great._

"But…" Kagami's throat had gone dry. She swallowed and tried again. "But you said that every Puella Magi gets a wish. Can't… can't I just wish for the Demons to be gone, and everything to be normal…?"

"_No."_

Kagami shrank back, huddling in her blankets. Of all the times Homura had fixed her with that cold, icy stare, this was by far the most intense. Whatever warmth and tenderness there had been in her expression, it vanished as quickly as if someone had slammed a door shut. "Homura…?"

"No. I won't allow you or your sister to make a contract, Hiiragi-san. Whatever you may think you want to wish for… nothing is worth the cost you'll pay." She reached forward and took Kagami's hand in hers, clutching it tightly as if it might break.

"H-Homura…?" Kagami's cheeks flushed pink. _Her hands… they're so soft…_

"I won't watch you die," whispered Homura. "Not again."

Kagami's heart raced in her breast, and a storm of butterflies began to whirl in her stomach… what Homura had said sailed over her head for a moment, all she could focus on was their hands together. Something _was_ happening between them. She might try to deny it to Konata, and even to her sister, but she couldn't deny it to herself. No one else's touch made her feel this way; no one else ever held her hand like this. _This doesn't make any sense!_ _It's crazy, it's impossible, _some small part of her mind argued. _I don't even _like_ girls, I only met her yesterday, how can I be…_

Be what? She knew precious little about these things. No one had ever left notes in her locker, or approached her for a date, and she had always thought she would blow off anyone who did. There were so many more important things to focus on… romance was for people with more time on their hands. But now, for the first time, she wished she knew more, if only so she could identify this feeling… all she knew for certain was that this strange, sad, enigmatic girl was holding her hand, and she never wanted her to let go…

It felt like hours went by without a word or a motion from either of them… but it was probably only seconds before something clicked in Kagami's mind, breaking the spell. "Wait. 'Not again?'"

"What?"

"You just said 'not again'…"

Just like that, the cold stare was gone. Now there was something very much like fear in Homura's eyes. "I-"

"Y-You told me before that by the time you found me and Tsukasa… the _other_ me and Tsukasa, it was too late…"

_Oh dear. _Kyubey let out a mental sigh and closed his eyes. _Is that what you told her, Homura?_

The Puella Magi's eyes wavered.

"Do you mean…" Slowly, Kagami's face drained of all color. "Do you mean, you were there when I-"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Hiiragi! Pay attention!"<p>

"_Oww!_" Tsukasa rubbed the back of her head. "S-Sorry, Kuroi-_sensei_…"

Nanako Kuroi frowned and crossed her arms, tapping a rolled-up magazine against her elbow. "Geez, Hiiragi, even _you_ aren't normally this spacy…"

Her classmates laughed, and Tsukasa blushed as she squirmed in her seat. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm just worried about _onee-chan…_"

Miss Kuroi sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "Geez… I know you're worried, but you could at least _try _to take notes or something."

Tsukasa stared down at her notebook miserably; the pages were blank save for a few random doodles. "I-I'll try. And I'll get the notes I missed from Miyuki-chan…"

"That's good, because you're sure not getting any from Izumi." At that, Miss Kuroi glared over at Konata… who was fast asleep and drooling on her own desk, her empty notebook propped up in front of her like a screen. "_Izumi!_"

"_Uwah!_ I'm awake!" The notebook fell to the floor with a noisy clatter.

"I swear," said Miss Kuroi, shaking her head. "Between the two of you, I'm surprised I'm not going gray… Get going on those notes, Hiiragi."

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

"Come to think of it…" The teacher's eyes fell upon an empty desk. "Where's Takara?"

A boy with brown spiky hair raised his hand. "_Sensei_! I think she went to the bathroom about ten minutes ago…"

"Weird, it's not like her to be gone that long. I wonder what's keeping her?"

* * *

><p>"P-Please, I don't understand…!"<p>

"_Eri rapse tevod."_

"What do you _want?_"

"_Eri rapse tevod."_

"Someone, please help me!"

Miyuki Takara took another step backward, knowing that she was inching closer and closer to the tile wall. The enormous, towering _thing_ in the white robes continued its advance, reaching for her with one of its pale hands.

"_Eri rapse tevod,_" it said again, its voice high-pitched and keening like screaming wind in a typhoon.

Miyuki trembled and felt something solid behind her. It had backed her into the wall. Only it wasn't a wall anymore… she felt smooth glass under her fingertips. That was impossible, the mirror was on the other wall… but now there were _dozens_ of mirrors, all linked together by golden chains. The bathroom had transformed itself into an elaborate cage, her terrified, tear-streaked face reflected back at her from a hundred different angles. She was huddled against one of those mirrors, with nowhere else to go…

"_Eri rapse tevod_," said the Demon. The faces in the mirrors changed; the reflections of the girl began laughing at her fear. Slowly it extended one long finger and touched her forehead…

Miyuki watched in horrified fascination as the monster shrank, its white robes changing shape. Rivulets of color flowed over its featureless body. Its spectral half-skull hardened into a solid shape, a pair of purple eyes opened, a long mane of pink hair sprouted up and flowed around it…

In seconds, Miyuki was staring at a perfect copy of herself.

"Wh-wh-wh-wha…" she babbled, beyond coherent speech.

"_I need you to disappear for a while,_" said the other Miyuki, now speaking in perfect Japanese. "_Thank you for letting me borrow your form and memories, Miyuki Takara."_

"M-m-my…" Miyuki was silenced as her duplicate glided forward across the surface of one of the mirrors and pressed her lips to hers. Long, pale arms wrapped around her from behind as she squirmed, unable to free herself from the kiss. Her muffled cries turned into shrieks as she felt herself being pulled backward, the mirror behind her rippling like water as she sank into it. The other Miyuki held the kiss, even as her body disappeared into the glass, even as she lost all feeling, going numb…

The other Miyuki removed her lips from the glass, which now bore a static image of the terrified schoolgirl. She smiled with satisfaction and clothed herself in a copy of her uniform, then let the Lair go… the mirror cage shrank down, down, folding in on itself and tucking itself away inside one of the lenses of the abandoned pair of round glasses sitting on the bathroom floor. She leaned down to retrieve them, placing them on the bridge of her nose.

"Um, Yuki-chan?" A timid voice from the doorway called out to her… Tsukasa Hiiragi. One of the focal points. "Are you all right?"

"I felt slightly unwell for a moment, but I am much better now," said the Second, smiling warmly at the other girl. "Thank you, Tsukasa-san."

**END OF CHAPTER 6**


	7. Chapter 7: Sorry for the Deception

_Author's Note: This chapter is a bit late due to a very stubborn illness. I apologize for the delay, and I hope it's worth the wait.  
><em>

**CHAPTER 7: Sorry for the Deception**

**2012**

**Tokyo Univesity Dorms**

_"Hey, Hiiragi!"_

_ "_Ossu,"_ said the young woman on the bed. Her nose was buried in a very thick and complicated law textbook, and didn't look to be surfacing any time soon. The book was propped up in front of her on the bed, and soft chewing sounds came from behind it as her mouth worked on a stick of her favorite chocolate pocky. She looked quite different from the girl who attended Ryouou High years ago; taller and fuller-bodied, perhaps a little heavier than she would like, due to a college student's diet. Her pigtails were gone, replaced by a ponytail tied halfway down her back. Lately she had taken to wearing reading glasses… not that she really needed them yet, but with the amount of small-printed textbooks her courses required, it was sensible to take precautions. "What's up?"_

_ "You expecting company?" said the figure lounging in the doorway._

_ "Not particularly. Why?"_

_ "Your sister is downstairs asking for you."_

_ Kagami put down the book and blinked. It wasn't like her family to drop by unannounced. "Tsukasa?"_

_ "No, Inori. She's here with your niece to visit you."_

_ It was a good thing she had just finished her current stick of pocky... that sentence would have been enough to make her choke to death on it. "My-" she sputtered. "Reinaka, are you _sure_ that's really Inori?"_

_ "Yup, positive. She asked for you by name, and I recognized her from your pictures. What's wrong?"_

_ Kagami's mind raced. Her family knew how busy her schedule was; studying law at Tokyo University was among the most intensive courses in the country. Even so, there was no possible way they could have neglected to tell her that Inori had had a child…! Tsukasa loved gossip and would have told her the moment Inori started dating, unless… _Oh no. Please don't tell me that she-

_ "So, um, Reinaka…" said Kagami, trying to sound casual. "Did Inori seem all right?"_

_ Kei nodded, taking no notice of her nervousness. "Oh yeah, perfectly happy, and her kid is super-adorable. Bowed to me and said hello just like a proper little lady."_

_ So that meant that Inori's daughter was old enough to speak… which ruled out a natural birth. She would have seen that Inori was pregnant while she was still living at home, the house was far too small to disguise something like that. _Adoption? _Kagami thought, reaching desperately for an explanation that made sense. _Yes, that's got to be it, but why wouldn't somebody _tell_ me…

_"I'm going down there," she said to Kei, placing her reading glasses down on her end table. "I probably won't be gone long."_

_ "Sure thing. You want me to start dinner?"_

_ "Yeah. Make something quick, but not the instant ramen. You know that stuff's unhealthy."_

_ Kei grinned. "Instant udon it is, then!"_

_ "Ugh," groaned Kagami as she put on her shoes. Kei loved instant food for God knew what reason, and no amount of begging would dissuade her from making it whenever possible… between the instant udon and the sudden appearance of the mysterious niece, her stomach was looking to have a rough night._

* * *

><p><em> "Kagami-<em>nee-san!_"_

_ She was barely out of the stairwell when the little girl charged for her, seizing her around the waist and hugging tightly._

_ "_Ooof!_ Uh, h-hey there, kiddo…" Kagami grinned awkwardly and patted the strange girl's head. Her estimate as to her age had been off… her "niece" was about eight to ten years old by the look of it, dressed in an unfamiliar elementary school uniform. She had kelly-green hair and wide, bright blue eyes, and she looked up at Kagami with an adoring smile._

_ "Now now, Yuma, let her walk," said a soft voice from the doorway. There was Inori, still calm and cheerful as ever, looking no different from the last time Kagami had seen her, save for an ever-increasing resemblance to their mother._

_ Fumbling to extricate herself from Yuma's grip, Kagami gave Inori a pointed glare and mouthed the words _Outside, please._ In truth, she wanted an explanation here and now, but there were people trying to study, and their voices would carry if the discussion got heated… a possibility that was growing more likely by the second._

_ "Aww." Yuma reluctantly let go and ran back to her mother's side, taking her hand… and Kagami cringed, as the mere thought of Inori as "mother" was so strange and unexpected that she couldn't stop herself feeling betrayed. What was going on?_

_ They stepped outside into the January afternoon, where the little girl shrieked with joy and began turning cartwheels on the lawn, kicking up blades of dead grass._

_ "All right, Inori, spill," said Kagami quietly, not wanting to draw Yuma's attention. "Just what the hell is going on? Who _is_ that girl? She can't be your daughter… at least, I damn well _hope_ she's not…"_

_ Inori smiled at her, and Kagami shuddered. That wasn't Inori's normal, gentle smile… there was something wild behind it. "Okay, I admit it. You caught us."_

_ "Wh-what do you mean?"_

_ "The truth is, I'm not your sister. We just needed a reason to talk to you personally, and this was the best plan we could come up with."_

_ Kagami's hands curled into fists. If this was a joke, it wasn't in any way funny. "Inori, stop it. If Matsuri put you up to this-"_

_ "Nope. I told you, I'm not your sister. See?"_

_ And Kagami screamed as Inori began to melt._

_ Her sister's familiar face and simple sundress oozed away like a sped-up film of a melting wax figure… Her body shrank until she was shorter than Kagami, and her proportions changed from young adult to teenager. With a shrugging motion similar to that of a snake shedding its skin, the remnants of her disguise fell away and dissolved. There was an unfamiliar young girl underneath, with a white bob-cut and golden eyes. She wore a middle-school uniform Kagami didn't recognize, and sported a disconcerting, fox-like smile. Something bright hung around her neck like a pendant, something that shone golden in the fading light._

_ Panicking, Kagami stumbled backward, almost tripping over the dorm's front step as she fought the urge to be sick. "You… what… who…?"_

_ "Calm down, I'm not gonna hurt you," said the stranger. Easier said than done, while she was still smiling like that. "Yuma-chan, could you come over here please?"_

_ "Coming!" Yuma brushed herself off and ran to the other girl's side, smiling proudly. "Did Yuma do a good job? Was Yuma a good niece?"_

_ "You sure were, kiddo. Everything went just as planned."_

_ "Yaaay! That was fun, we should do it again!"_

_ "Who _are _you?" gasped Kagami, recovering enough of her breath to wheeze out the question. "Where's Inori, what did you do with-"_

_ "It's okay, Kagami_-nee-san_," said Yuma, patting her hand. "Your sister's back at home with the rest of your family."_

_ "Sorry for the deception," said the other girl brightly, not sounding sorry at all. "Like I said, we just needed to talk to you face-to-face. This was all Mikuni's idea, you can yell at her once we get to the hideout if you like."_

_ "Hideout?" Her fear was evaporating, now the white-haired girl was just making Kagami angry. "Now wait a minute! Who the hell are you, and how did you do that?"_

_ The two girls bowed._

_ "My name's Airi Anri," said the older one, "and this is Yuma Chitose. We've come to give you protection, Kagami Hiiragi. You see… we're magical girls."_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

Shadows obscured Homura's face. "Yes," she said, in something that was barely even a whisper. "I was there."

An icy void opened up in Kagami's stomach. Until now, she had put the thought of her other self away in some deep corner of her mind; out of self-preservation, she supposed. What good would it do to dwell on the other Kagami's death? But now… now she was sitting in a room with someone that had watched her die. Kagami began to shudder uncontrollably as the enormity of it hit her all at once.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, Hiiragi-san," said Homura, still not looking at her. "It was hard enough to tell you at all, I just couldn't-"

"H-Ho…" Kagami swallowed. Her mouth wasn't working right. "Homura, what happened…? To you, to us?" _And do I really want to know?_ said a small inner voice, adding another to the whirl of conflicting emotions tumbling around inside her.

The chair rattled as Homura abruptly stood up and brushed her hair back, keeping her gaze fixated on the office door. "Don't make me tell you," she said. "I beg of you, please don't."

Just like she had somehow sensed it on the roof, a lifetime ago, Kagami somehow felt that the other girl was near tears. She knew she was treading on very thin ice, but she had to ask… "Why…?"

"I don't want you to hate me…"

Then she was gone, out the door before Kagami could say another word.

The silence of the nurse's office weighed down on her, pressing her back into her pillow and blankets. Kagami stared up at the ceiling tiles, trying to figure out what to think of it all… but her mind was blank. Everything had become so complicated.

It was almost a relief when the calm, clinical voice entered her thoughts, breaking the oppressive silence. _Almost_ a relief. _I'm sorry, _said Kyubey. _I imagine this must be terribly upsetting._

"You're still here?" said Kagami quietly, without bothering to look at him.

_I have to be. One of us needs to be near you or your sister at all times, to keep you safe._

"Great," she groaned. So much for privacy. At least it was only "near you" and not "in the same room as you". The thought of Kyubey watching her in the bath with those creepy unblinking red eyes... _No, no, no. Bad mental image, Kagami. Get it out of your mind._

_Forutnately, I don't believe another attack will come so soon after this one, _said Kyubey._ Demons aren't much for tactics, so we'll have time to recover._

"Wonderful."

_I wouldn't say that, but it's good enough for us._

Kagami wrinkled her nose. Either the little white whatever-it-was couldn't understand sarcasm, or he was choosing to politely ignore it. "So I suppose you know the truth about me? The other me, I mean?"

_Yes._

"And you're not going to tell me, are you?"

_No._

"Mind if I ask why not?"

_If it were my choice, I would tell you… I don't believe in deception. However, Homura asked me not to._

"She said something about me hating her…"

_An exaggeration, I think. I doubt she truly believes that._

"Why would she think it at all?"

A loud yawn from the bed next to her interrupted the conversation. "_Uwaaaah…_ Ow. Who ya talkin' to, Hiiragi?"

Kagami started; she had forgotten Misao and Ayano were there. "Just myself, I guess," she said, trying to sound casual as she looked over. Whatever magic kept Kyubey from being noticed by Nurse Amahara, she was trusting him to use it now. Otherwise he was going to have to explain himself, for Kagami was too tired to bother. "How are you feeling?"

Misao flexed her jaw a few times, winced, and reached up to touch the bandage on her cheek. "Sore. It'll pass. Is Ayano-chan still asleep?"

"I think so." Kagami bit her lip. "Kusakabe… do you remember anything?"

For just a moment, Misao's golden eyes wavered. "Me an' Ayano-chan had a fight. She said some bad things… and she hit me."

_Oh God._ Here she was, wrapped up in her own problems, and she hadn't even been the one punched in the face by her best friend. "Kusakabe, I'm sorry, I know that must have been-"

"Oi, oi," said Misao, waving her hand. She grinned lopsidedly, avoiding her injured cheek. "What're you apologizin' for? You didn't have anythin' to do with it." Still smiling as best she was able, Misao turned to the sleeping figure in the next bed. She felt around for a hand underneath the blankets, then took it in her own. "It's okay. I know Ayano-chan didn't mean those things she said. She just had a bad day, is all."

"Kusakabe…" Kagami trailed off. It struck her all of a sudden that for all the years she had been classmates with these two, she barely knew them at all. Still, there was clearly something familiar there. A friendship similar to hers with Konata… uneven and rocky at times, and sometimes one would drive the other crazy, but the bond was there, unbreakable as diamond. Just looking at them, Kagami felt some of her own worries start to ease. _Strange,_ she thought. _I don't even feel as tired anymore._

"Poor Ayano-chan," said Misao, with surprising tenderness. "She has it rough sometimes, I know. She's so perfect, and I'm such an idiot…" The way Misao said that was remarkable; it wasn't self-deprecating in the least, it was pure honesty. "I know I'm hard to deal with, but she's always there. Even on her bad days. When I'm with her… I feel like I'm not so stupid after all. She helps me be better than I am. Ya know?"

Kagami nodded, smiling genuinely for the first time that day. "I know exactly what you mean."

* * *

><p><strong>2012<strong>

**La Beatrice Hotel, Tokyo**

_"_This_ is your hideout?"_

_ "Yup," said Airi, still sporting that grin. "Mikuni figured this was the best place for us all to stay together."_

_ Well, it made just as much sense as operating out of a café or a flower shop, at least… and to give this Mikuni person credit, no one would ever expect a group of magical girls to gather in what looked like the most rundown, ramshackle old hotel in all of Japan. Clearly it had once been a thing of beauty… it was built in a foreign style, probably Greco-Roman, though Kagami barely knew a thing about architecture. There were pillars, at any rate, crumbling faux-marble ones outside the front entrance, and lots of domes and arches. In fact, now that she looked at it more closely, the Roman theme was almost _too_ obvious, as if the hotel had been designed around someone's-_

_ "Wait a minute," said Kagami, stopping cold on the sidewalk. "No. No way. Was this a _love hotel?_"_

_ "It used to be," said Airi cheerfully. "Don't worry about it, we cleaned everything and fixed up the inside when we moved in."_

_ "It's a great place, Hiiragi-san, really it is! You'll make lots of friends here, Yuma can promise you that!" The younger girl tugged on Kagami's arm, pulling her toward the front door, which was currently hanging from its frame by only one hinge. She had stopped calling her "Kagami-nee-san" during the trip over here, for which Kagami felt extremely grateful. Yuma was cute enough to pull it off, but the honorific still felt uncomfortably familiar._

_ Truth be told, Kagami wasn't even sure what she was still _doing_ with these kids. All the way from the dorm, they had been telling her about creatures called "Demons" and the history of magical girls… _Puellae Magi_, she corrected herself… and how she and Tsukasa were in some kind of vaguely-defined danger. Through all of their explanations, Airi and Yuma had assured her over and over again that "Mikuni can explain better", "Mikuni will tell you more", "We'd go on, but Mikuni wants to fill you in on that". If Kagami hadn't seen them perform magic first-hand, she would have abandoned them on the street and caught the first bus back to her dorm, to spend the night combing through her textbooks. She had almost done that anyway, but Yuma had taken her hand, stared at her with those innocent wide blue eyes, and pleaded with her to at least give Mikuni a chance to talk… and Kagami had found she didn't have the heart to say no._

So I'll get the story from this Mikuni, and _then_ I'll leave,_ she told herself, allowing herself to be led through the door…_

_ She felt like her jaw had dropped to somewhere around her knees. Inside the building was a pavilion, upon which was built an elaborate gazebo structure, a brass dome held up by ornate pillars… of real marble, not like the fake ones outside. The structure sat on a black-and-white tiled floor, and around its borders curled a trickling stream, its waters audible even over their echoing footsteps._

_Underneath the gazebo's dome were wrought-iron benches, tables, and chairs, and there sat the girls… There were two dozen of them, possibly more: little children like Yuma and young adults like herself, girls in immaculate school uniforms and girls in ragged street clothes, short girls and tall girls, slim girls and stout girls, some in active conversation with each other and others staring off into space. No two were alike, and Kagami couldn't fathom what on earth had brought them all together._

"_What _is_ all this…?" Kagami turned to Airi, reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the spectacle. It was no run-down love hotel in here, that much was certain..._

_Airi was already gone. She ran across the tile floor toward the gazebo, letting out a gleeful squeal of "Yuuri-chan!" as she dove into the waiting arms of another girl, one with long blonde pigtails and kind, gentle eyes. Before her voice got lost in the chatter, Kagami heard her say "Yuuri-chan, I missed you! Everything went fine, don't worry…"_

_Feeling uncomfortable, Kagami leaned down to Yuma, who still had a tight grip on her hand. "Um, Yuma? Are those two-"_

"_Shh," said Yuma, holding a pudgy finger to her lips. "Here she comes."_

_Someone stood up from one of the wrought-iron tables, finishing a cup of tea and setting it down in a china saucer. The effect on the other girls was immediate; all fell silent at once. She was taller and older than most of the rest of them, wearing a very expensive-looking private school uniform, burgundy with green highlights, and she didn't seem to walk so much as glide forward through the crowd, moving with uncommon grace. As she approached Kagami and Yuma she brushed back her pale, flaxen hair and opened her eyes… they were deep green, like emeralds, and spoke of countless secrets. Gently she stepped down off the edge of the pavilion, and when she spoke, any remaining doubts about the girls' story left Kagami's mind. There was no way she _wasn't_ magical, not with the way she moved, not with the way she talked…_

"_Greetings, Kagami Hiiragi," she said as she bowed deeply, clasping her hands in front of herself. Her voice was quiet and whispery, but its power carried all the way across the entrance hall. "My name is Oriko Mikuni. I am glad you have chosen to come, for you are in great danger…"_

* * *

><p><strong>2007<strong>

**Ryouou High**

_I'm such an idiot._

Homura leaned against the cool glass of the classroom window for support, squeezing her eyes shut and trying desperately not to cry. She was hidden from view behind a magical barrier, invisible and alone.

_Why did I say anything at all? It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She was never supposed to know. Damn it…_

Her shoulders shook with the effort to keep herself under control.

_Now she'll find out. She'll find out, and she'll hate me once she learns that it was my fault…_

A trembling hand reached up for the red ribbon in her hair, rubbing the soft, familiar silk between her fingertips.

_Please help me. I can't bear to see it happen again, so help me make this right. Help me… and forgive me for feeling this way…_

* * *

><p>Listlessly Tsukasa replaced the mop and bucket in the closet, then shut the door with a sigh. This afternoon's classes had been hopeless, even more so than usual. All she could think about was Kagami… for the hundredth time, she flashed back to finding her and Akemi on the roof together. <em>Why would you lie to me, <em>onee-chan? she thought miserably. _We're sisters, we're supposed to trust each other! _That Akemi girl… it was because of her, she was sure of it. Tsukasa wasn't one to be suspicious, but there was something weird about Akemi. Their brief time face-to-face in the nurse's office had only strengthened that belief. And when she and Konata left… it was crazy, but for just an instant Tsukasa could have sworn she saw-

"Is something wrong, Tsukasa-san?"

Tsukasa yelped and dropped her schoolbag for the second time that day. Miyuki was standing there in the otherwise empty classroom, bathed in rays of late afternoon sunlight. Miyuki was typically one of the first to leave, living father away from the school than most of the class, and she wasn't the type to lag behind… She must have been standing there for some time, for Tsukasa hadn't heard anyone enter or leave the room.

"Yuki-chan! S-Sorry, you startled me," said Tsukasa as she leaned down to retrieve her bag. "I didn't think you'd still be here."

"Let me help," said Miyuki. With a smile she knelt and reached for the bag's strap at the same time as Tsukasa. Their hands made brief contact… "You're worried about Kagami, aren't you?"

"Yeah." Tsukasa nodded. "I… I think… Yuki-chan, this will sound silly, but I think… I think she may like the new transfer student…"

"Oh my," said Miyuki, her eyes widening behind her glasses. "You mean Akemi-san?"

Tsukasa nodded and bit her lip. "She won't say it, but I can _tell_ something's weird with her! _Onee-chan_ and I have always been so close, but-" And all of a sudden, the whole story was tumbling out of her mouth in a rush, as if a dam had broken. "… and she lied to me about it, Yuki-chan! What does this mean? What if we-"

Miyuki placed her hand on Tsukasa's. Her touch was soft and understanding. "Tsukasa-san," she whispered. "You knew this would happen eventually. You're both very pretty girls… one of you was bound to find someone sooner or later."

"B-But… but another girl…?"

"Why not?" Miyuki smiled. "Sometimes girls like other girls. These things tend to happen."

"I guess you're right." Tsukasa swallowed. "But what if… what if she starts going out with Akemi, and we…"

"Drift apart?"

"Right, drift apart! I don't want to lose my sister, Yuki-chan! She's my best friend!"

Miyuki leaned close. "Poor Tsukasa-san. You've been thinking about this all afternoon, haven't you?"

Tears began to shine at the corners of Tsukasa's eyes, reflecting in the fading light. "I haven't been able to think about anything else. I messed up my English quiz and-"

Soft lips pressed against Tsukasa's cheek, warm and sweet. Her eyes snapped open wide, and her heart began to pound. "Y-Y-Y-Y-Yuki-chan?"

"I told you," whispered Miyuki as she slid closer, putting an arm around Tsukasa's shoulder. "Sometimes girls like other girls…"

Tsukasa nearly had a breakdown then and there. Finding out her sister liked girls was enough of a shock, but _Miyuki?_ Shy, soft-spoken, clumsy, easily embarrassed Miyuki? Where had this come from? "M-M-Miyuki," she stammered, "I n-never knew, I mean, I'm _flattered, _b-b-but you never seemed to-"

"Oh dear," said Miyuki, leaning away and flushing red. "I-I'm sorry, Tsukasa-san. I just wanted to make you feel better, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…"

Her mind reeling with confusion, Tsukasa said the first thing that popped into her head: "No no no, I'm not uncomfortable!" she lied, sporting her own furious blush. "It was really nice!"

"It was?" There was a hopeful tone to the question as Miyuki peeked out from behind her glasses.

"Absolutely!" said Tsukasa with a nervous smile. "I-I-I enjoyed it, th-thanks, Yuki-chan! I feel a lot better now." Oddly, as she said that, she _did_ start to feel just a little bit better…

"You mean…" said Miyuki, leaning closer again, "you would… be all right? With us?"

"I-" Tsukasa stopped and thought. Romance had never interested her before, but over the past few hours it had felt like everything she knew was turned upside-down… A tiny voice at the back of her mind was saying, _Why not? Wouldn't it be better to be with Miyuki, somebody you already know and trust? Would that really be so bad?_ "I-" she swallowed, summoning up all the boldness she could muster. "If it's you, Yuki-chan… As long as we, you know, take it slow… I'm okay with it." And to punctuate the statement, she leaned in and planted a quick peck on Miyuki's cheek.

Miyuki blushed and grinned happily. "Th-thank you, Tsukasa-san. I've…. I've actually felt this way for a while, it's such a relief to finally be able to tell you… I promise, we'll only do what you're ready for."

"Uh, sure," said Tsukasa, taking her hand. It was strange and awkward, holding another girl's hand… but the longer she held it, the more _right_ it felt. And when Miyuki kissed her cheek again a few minutes later, she welcomed it.

She never noticed Miyuki's fingertip hover over the back of her neck. She never noticed the glowing mark it left on her skin, which quickly faded away as if it were never there.

* * *

><p><strong>2013<strong>

**La Beatrice Hotel, Tokyo**

_Mikuni had told her the whole story as they walked the halls of the hotel, which had been magically transformed into something completely other than its decrepit outer appearance suggested. Kagami still found a lot of it hard to swallow, but it was clear that the white Puella Magi was telling the truth. She had a remarkable quality about her: when she spoke, you listened, and you believed her. Kagami wondered if that was part of her magic…_

_ "So what happens now?" she asked as they climbed a winding staircase._

_ "Now our forces split into two groups," said Oriko. "Team Tokyo will remain here and reinforce the building with as much protection as we can. We don't know when the attack is coming, but we're making every effort to be ready for it."_

_ "And the other team?"_

_ "Team Kuki will head to your family's home in Takanomiya to retrieve your sister. Once they arrive, we will have you call Tsukasa-san and explain the situation… it does not matter what you tell her, as long as she agrees to leave with them."_

_ "Got it, I can think of something. What's this place?"_

_ They had stopped in front of a nondescript hotel room door. The second floor had not received extensive magical transformation like the first, but it was still clean and restored._

_ Mikuni smiled enigmatically as she opened the door. "This is our stronghold."_

_ "Huh?" For a moment, Kagami wondered if Mikuni was pulling her leg. Inside was just another hotel room: a bed, a cabinet for a television, a closet space, a door leading off to a bathroom. It looked like any other of dozens or hundreds of identical rooms Kagami had seen before. The room's only occupant was sitting on the windowsill with her back turned to them._

_ "Akemi-san?" said Mikuni. "Our guest is here."_

_ Without a word she dropped down from the sill and turned to face them, brushing back her long black hair. She was a girl of about fifteen, tall and willowy and slightly pale. The new girl was dressed all in dark clothing; the only bright color on her person was a red ribbon in her hair, which looked oddly out of place with her demeanor. Her cold violet eyes traveled from Mikuni to Kagami and back, betraying no emotion. Then she bowed, very cautiously, as Mikuni introduced her._

_ "Hiiragi-san, this is Homura Akemi. You'll be staying here with her. You see, Akemi-san is our last line of defense, the most powerful Puella Magi of us all. Her sworn duty is to protect you, until the very end…"_

**END OF CHAPTER 7**


	8. Chapter 8: Be There Soon

**CHAPTER 8: Be There Soon**

**2007**

**Kasukabe**

"_Uwaaa~!_" Konata let out a gaping yawn and stretched her arms over her head. "Some weird day, huh?"

"Uh-huh," said Kagami.

"Mmm," said Tsukasa.

They were on the train again, another school day complete. Kagami had insisted that she was well enough to walk home, and surprisingly, Tsukasa hadn't objected. The train ride was unusually quiet save for the usual creaking and clacking; not as many people were traveling today.

"So Minegeshi-san and Kusakabe-san are both okay now, right?" said Konata. "I heard something about a fight between them before they passed out."

"Yeah," said Kagami.

"Uh-huh," said Tsukasa.

Konata's face wrinkled into a rare frown. Neither of the Hiiragis were paying attention. They weren't even _looking_ at her; Kagami was staring out the window and Tsukasa was in some sort of a happy daydream, smiling at nothing in particular. It was time to step her game up.

"So, have either of you seen _Strike Witches_ yet?" she said, elbowing each of them in turn. "It's really great! There's all these girls based on World War II pilots, and they fly around with propeller engines strapped to their legs and use magic and none of them wear pants!"

"Uh-huh," said Kagami.

"Hmm," said Tsukasa.

Still no reaction. Obviously, this called for extreme measures. A devious grin spread across Konata's face as she nudged Kagami. "Kagamin, have you seen _Boku no Pico?_ I think you'd really like it… It's an ero-anime about this boy who gets seduced by his _mmph_-"

"Dammit, there are _people_ around!" hissed Kagami as she clamped her hand over Konata's mouth. "Don't talk about that kind of thing in public!"

Underneath Kagami's palm, Konata broke into her trademark cat-smile. "You're _really_ out of it today, Kagamin," she said as she removed her friend's hand. "What's got you so distracted? Thinking about your girlfriend, hmm?"

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!" said Kagami fiercely, loud enough that a few people turned and stared.

To Konata's right, Tsukasa giggled.

"Poor Kagamin," said Konata with a mock sigh, patting Kagami on the leg. "I'm afraid I've lost you… Soon you'll be spending all your time making out with Akemi instead of hanging out with me…"

"Shut up!" Kagami put on her most ferocious glare and shoved her hand away. "God, Tsukasa, why did you have to tell her? She'll be running this into the ground for months…"

"Hmm?" Tsukasa's head jerked up. "S-Sorry, _onee-chan_, I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

"We were just talking about how Kagamin and Akemi are gonna start making out."

"_Shut up!_"

Tsukasa giggled again.

Kagami titled her head and gave her sister an odd look. It wasn't like her to laugh when Konata was being perverted. "Tsukasa, are you all right?"

"I'm just wonderful," said Tsukasa, slipping back into a dreamy smile as she stared at the map of train routes on the car wall.

"Geez," muttered Konata, scratching her head. "Kagamin, are you sure _you_ were the one with heat stroke?"

Kagami groaned and slumped into her seat. "Oh, go read a manga or something." There was just too much to think about. Her life over the past two days had undergone a strange and terrifying metamorphosis into something unrecognizable… She couldn't wait to get home, to do chores, to work on homework, to do _normal_ things. Somehow, though, she knew that normal was far out of reach. The white, catlike creature sitting curled up in the seat next to her was living proof.

Homura had not returned to the nurse's office that afternoon. Kyubey assured her that she was fine, that they were still in contact, that he would know if something went wrong. Her last words still echoed back in forth in Kagami's mind: "_I don't want you to hate me._" She couldn't begin to imagine what that meant… nor was she sure she wanted to know.

* * *

><p><strong>2012<strong>

**La Beatrice Hotel, Tokyo**

**Nine days before the end**

_Awkward._

_ Awkward, awkward, awkward._

_ She had been sharing the room with Homura Akemi for half a day now, and they had barely said three words to each other. Hell, the younger girl had hardly moved from her spot by the window; she might have been a statue. Kagami had passed the time by doing what studying she could on her cell phone, but it was too hard to concentrate on that for any length of time. Besides, she needed to keep the line open for when Team Kuki called…_

_ Kagami squirmed on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched in her lap. For the hundredth time in the last hour, she glanced over at the phone… still nothing. Oriko had told her they would be moving slowly, to avoid drawing the Demons' attention. Obviously, a magical teleport spell or something like that was out of the question. Once again, Kagami's mind churned with worry over Tsukasa. Would she take it well? Would she agree to come with the Puellae Magi, or would she need to be persuaded? Could they keep her safe on the-_

_ "It will be all right, Hiiragi-san," said a soft voice from the windowsill._

_ Kagami started, almost falling off the edge of the bed. It completely slipped her notice that that was the first full sentence Akemi had ever spoken to her. "H-How did you know what I was-"_

_ "You're worried. It's only natural," said Akemi. Still she stared out the window as she spoke. "You want your loved ones to be safe."_

_ "Y-Yeah," said Kagami, slightly rattled._

_ "I promise you, my comrades and I will do everything in our power to ensure yours and your sister's safety," said Akemi. "Mikuni-san told us how important this mission is when she first gathered us together."_

_ "So you don't work together normally?" said Kagami, purely for something to talk about._

_ "No."_

_ "Why not? That would work better for all of you, wouldn't it?"_

_ "Puellae Magi don't operate that way. We all have our own motives, often in conflict with one another. Sometimes we form small groups for the sake of convenience, but mostly we work by ourselves."_

_ Kagami's face fell. "Isn't that… lonely for you?"_

_ For the first time, there was a wavering in Akemi's voice, a break in that constant, soft monotone. Kagami saw her bow her head, just slightly. "It is. Always."_

**Eight days before the end**

_Her phone's alarm went off with a series of electronic chimes. Kagami yawned and stretched as she sat up in bed. With a soft groan, she reached over to silence the chiming, then looked over at the window…_

_ Akemi was still there, in exactly the same position as last night._

_ "Didn't you get any sleep?" she asked, rubbing her eyes._

_ "I needed to keep watch," said the Puella Magi. "Besides, I don't require sleep. We can shut off our need to rest, or make it go away until later."_

_ "That sounds like it would come in handy."_

_ "It does, sometimes. We can also shut off pain… it helps us stay in battle longer."_

_ "Guess you'd have to have something like that, for fighting monsters." Kagami slid out from under the sheets and felt around for her slippers with her feet. Her nightclothes, slippers, and a few other necessities had been brought to her by a few others of Team Tokyo, who had paid a clandestine visit to her dorm under cover of darkness the night before. As she stood up, she noticed a bulging plastic bag sitting next to the door, stuffed with brightly-colored food packages. _Huh, room service,_ she thought with a smile. _Well, it _is_ a hotel… _"Do you want breakfast, or can you shut off hunger, too?"_

_ "Not right now, thank you."_

_ "Suit yourself." She wandered over to check the bag's contents. "Bleh, it's mostly junk food. Pocky, instant ramen, pre-packaged taiyaki…What's this stuff? Some kind of energy drink… 'Morning Rescue?'"_

_ "I'll have a word with Kyoko later. She must be assigned to the groceries." Was that a hint of amusement in Akemi's voice?_

_ "Kyoko?" asked Kagami, deciding that it must have been her imagination._

_ "You may have seen her when you came in. Red hair, with a black ribbon…"_

_ "And a snaggletooth. I think I know who you're talking about."_

_ "She's my friend."_

_ Kagami blinked. This was the first time Akemi had given any indication of having friends… "I… I see. You fight with her, then?" She was reaching, she knew, but something drove her onward._

_ Astonishingly, Akemi chuckled, just once. It was a very quiet sound, easily mistakable for a cough or a clearing of her throat. "I fight alongside her… I fight with her sometimes too."_

_ "That sounds familiar," said Kagami with a smile. Whether it was from boredom or genuine curiosity, she found herself interested… the ice queen was showing signs of cracking._

**Seven days before the end**

_It was late at night. Kagami couldn't sleep, so they were nursing cups of tea, the room lit only by a tacky old lamp._

_ "… and it smelled _terrible,_" said Kagami. "God, it was awful!"_

_ "I can imagine," said Akemi. She was actually smiling more often than not now. She was really quite pretty, when she didn't look so gloomy or serious…_

_ "So, uh…" Kagami stalled, trying to think of something else to talk about. Her eyes wandered, finally landing on the piece of red silk in Akemi's hair. "That's a nice ribbon."_

_ "Th-thank you." Akemi turned faintly pink._

_ "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," said Kagami, setting her cup down. The last thing she wanted at the moment was for Akemi to retreat back into her shell…_

_ "It's all right," she said, reaching up to touch it where it was tied into a bow._

_ "Obviously it's pretty special to you."_

_ "It is. It belonged to my best friend."_

Belonged. _The past tense made Kagami's face fall. "Oh God, I'm so sorry… Is she…?"_

_ "Gone," said Akemi, her face disappearing into shadow. "This ribbon and my memories are all I have of her."_

_ "Akemi…"_

_ "But…" said Akemi softly. "Even though she's gone, she's still here with me. I can't see her, but I feel her presence… She's there in the wind when it changes. She's beside me in my dreams, and she's behind me when I wake up…" Her shoulders shook. "She was kind, and very gentle. She truly believed there was good in everyone's heart. She never… she never lost hope. Even when the rest of us did."_

_ Kagami slid closer to her. "Akemi… I can tell she meant a lot to you. You don't have to talk about her if it's too-"_

_ "No," said Akemi. She was trembling with the effort to keep from crying, but she was still smiling… "I want to talk about her. It's so strange… I don't know why, but…"A tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a ripple spreading outward on the surface of her tea. "... you remind me of her. You're very different, but for some reason…" She swallowed and fixed her shining eyes on Kagami. "… I can see her in you."_

_ "R-really?" Kagami blushed. The display of emotion was so raw, so heartfelt… She could tell Akemi really meant it, but it made her just slightly uncomfortable. "Th-thank you, Akemi, that's-"_

_ "Please," said Akemi, reaching for her hand. "Call me Homura."_

**Six days before the end**

_On the fourth day, the phone finally rang. Kagami lunged for it from across the room, overshot, and slammed her knee into the side of the bed, falling over with a loud crash. "Dammit!"_

_ "Hiiragi-san, are you all right?" Homura rose to her feet. "Do you need a bandage, or-"_

_ "I'll be fine," said Kagami, grimacing and drawing in a breath. "It's not that bad." From the floor, she reached up to snatch the phone, her thumb finding the call button. "Tsukasa?"_

_ "_Onee-chan!_" shrieked the voice on the other end. "They're real… magical girls are _real!_"_

_ Kagami grinned. She could picture Tsukasa's expression of shock so perfectly, she might have been standing next to her. "Yeah, I know. It was a hell of a surprise for me too."_

_ "It's so _weird!_" said Tsukasa. "They just came up right to the front door… Dad thought they were selling something, but they wanted to talk to _me_… I didn't believe them at first, but then one of them, this brown-haired girl… Usagi, I think her name was? She saw Nyamo-chan and started _talking_ to him! Really talking! He told her his favorite brand of food and everything!"_

_ Nyamo-chan was Tsukasa's cat, a fat white furball of indeterminate breed that she had adopted to keep her company shortly after Kagami had moved out. "That's how they proved it to you?" Kagami laughed. "Sure beats how they showed _me._"_

_ "Why, what did they do?"_

_ "You don't want to know," said Kagami, suppressing a shudder. "So were you able to get away? What did Mom and Dad say? … You didn't tell them the truth, did you?"_

_ "Oh no, of course not!" said Tsukasa. "After what the girls told me? No way! They had a cover story about following Bashō's trail and wanting a shrine maiden to come with them to the next stop. I think Dad was a little suspicious at first, but then Kanna-san started quoting his haiku… Anyway, we're on the way now, we should be in Tokyo in a few days."_

_ Kagami let out a relieved breath that she hoped her sister couldn't hear. "That's great. I'm looking forward to seeing you. Stay safe, Tsukasa."_

_ "You too, _onee-chan._ Be there soon…"_

**Five days before the end**

_"Tomorrow," said Homura as she clicked her phone shut._

_ "You're sure?" said Kagami, wringing her hands. The sky outside the window was grey and overcast. Over the last few hours the humidity had risen rapidly… rain was coming._

_ "Yes," said Homura. "Kure-san said she was sure of it. They'll most likely be here tomorrow afternoon."_

_ There was more, Kagami could tell. Homura was incredibly good at suppressing her emotions, but after spending almost a week together in each other's company, Kagami had begun to pick up on the subtle clues in her expressions. She couldn't disguise the fact that she was hiding something. "What else did she tell you?"_

_ Homura was silent._

_ "Homura…?" Kagami's throat tightened. "What else?"_

_ The Puella Magi turned to stare out the window. "The Demons know. They're following them."_

_ A lead weight dropped in Kagami's stomach. "No. Oh no…"_

_ "Tsukasa's safe," said Homura, taking her hand. "It will be all right, Hiiragi-san, I promise. Kure said that Misaki and Maki are staying with her at all times. Those two have powers that complement each other, and Misaki has the strongest defensive ability out of all of us…"_

_ "That's supposed to make me feel better?" Kagami laughed, but the sound was hollow. "Come _on_, Homura. They know what you're doing now, so can't one of you just pull a Star Trek and transport her here? You've got to have _somebody_ with powers like that, right?"_

_ "I'm sorry," said Homura, biting her lip. "This is the only way."_

_ "God…" Kagami drew her knees up to her chest and hugged herself tight. _

_ "Don't give up, Hiiragi-san," said Homura, draping a slender arm around the older girl's shoulder. "We won't lose this fight… we _can't_ lose. We'll keep you both safe."_

**Four days before the end**

_For the past two hours, Homura had stood still at the open window. She was holding a long bow, ebony-colored and decorated with amethysts like the one on her hand, and she looked for all the world like the statue of an avenging angel…_

_ "Can you see anything yet?" Kagami knelt on the floor a few paces away. Several open first-aid kits lay open around her… Homura had assured her they wouldn't be needed, but she wasn't about to take any chances. Besides, she had to do _something_ to be useful, she couldn't just let herself sit and wait…_

_"Not yet." Homura stared out beyond the edge of the shimmering golden field that surrounded the hotel. Five Puellae Magi were downstairs, pooling their powers together to give the barrier energy… according to Oriko, anything demonic that touched it would be repelled, if not destroyed altogether._

_Outside, the clouds hung oppressively low and dark overhead, and a steady rain fell over Tokyo. Kagami would have chalked the ominous weather up to a winter storm, but this felt… different. More sinister… evil. As if to punctuate that thought, a thunderclap rang out over the city streets, making her jump. Bizarrely, she didn't see the lightning flash until several seconds later… _That shouldn't be possible.

_Homura hadn't moved at the crack of thunder, but before the afterimages of lightning had faded from the room, she had notched a flaming violet arrow to her bow. "They're coming," she whispered._

_Kagami scrambled over to the windowsill, careful to keep her head as low as possible. Out beyond the field, one of the dark storm clouds seemed to have fallen from the sky. It was roiling angrily down the street about two-hundred meters away, engulfing buildings in itself. Small bolts of lightning arced from one bulge to another even as she watched… that was no ordinary cloud. "Homura…?"_

"_I see it."_

_The cloud stopped its advance. Kagami watched in horrified fascination as the buildings and streets to either side of it began to twist themselves grotesquely out of shape. It looked like it was trying to turn the entire city block into an Escher painting… "What's it doing?" she whispered._

"_Not 'it'… 'they'," said Homura. "That's not the work of just one Demon. They're trying to form a Lair…"_

"_What does that mean?"_

"_I'll explain later. Mikuni, they're here," she said to thin air. "Five blocks away. Move the rest of Team Tokyo to intercept, I'll provide cover fire."_

_However it was that Mikuni heard her, the order must have been given, for mere seconds later eight Puellae Magi emerged from the front doors and ran down the street, their costumes a bright and colorful reprieve from the gloom and greyness of the storm. Another lightning flash illuminated them as they crossed the barrier and disappeared into the driving rain._

_The Demon cloud lurched and rolled forward to meet them, its coils writhing faster now. Multicolored lights bloomed inside it… not lightning, Kagami realized, but magic. She opened her mouth to speak…_

_And found herself struck dumb as Homura grew wings._

_They weren't feathered, like those of a bird… in fact, they looked nothing like the wings of any creature Kagami had ever seen. They extended straight out from Homura's back, jagged and asymmetrical, and they seemed to hold the night sky within them… stars and galaxies and comets and nebulae, all in constant motion, a million lights among a pitch-black void… _She _is_ an angel,_ Kagami thought inexplicably, as Homura took a stance, drew back her arrow, and fired._

_The arrow pierced the golden barrier and streaked across the sky, and halfway through its flight it split into a dozen identical copies. The volley fell upon the great dark cloud, violet flames pierced it through, and it let out a sound, a horrible cross between an animal's roar and an anguished human scream. The cloud charged, its surface boiling more violently than ever, more lightning dancing across its surface. It covered half a block in a matter of seconds, and soon it was close enough that Kagami could see what was happening…_

_The Puellae Magi were little more than colored blurs of light, staying still only long enough to fire off shots from their weapons. Every time one stopped for more than a second, chalk-white arms would emerge from the coils of the cloud to snatch at them, spewing lightning from their fingertips. Dimly Kagami could hear a multitude of voices over the noise of the storm, shouting fragmented battle orders, angry curses, screams of pain… and the chanting of something inhuman…_

"… _still coming! Watch out on your right!"_

"_- too many of them! Mami, give me some backup!"_

"_- can't see…"_

"_Komachi! Komachi, where are you?"_

"ERECN IVE TETO PNON. ERECN IVE TETO PNON…_"_

"_Damn it, tell the Soujus to get back in formation…"_

"_Just go! Go now! Don't let them-"_

_A tremendous rumbling _boom_ shook the hotel to its foundations as the Demon cloud slammed itself against the barrier. Fingers of lighting danced hungrily over the shield, searching for an opening…_

_Kagami shrieked and covered her head as another, much brighter flash seared her eyes with its light. She could hear Homura breathing hard as she fired off volley after volley… "Homura!"_

"_I'm here!" Homura shouted over the din. "Hiiragi-san, I'm here!" A half-dozen arrows all took flight from the bow at once, and when they struck the cloud lurched back a few meters. Her wings spread outward, filling more of the room as she notched another six… She was using far too much power, she knew, but as long as it kept them safe…_

_There was movement on the street down below. A dark blue bubble of light burst forth from the embrace of the cloud's tendrils. Bolts of electricity licked hungrily over it as the two figures inside ran for the hotel's main gate… One of them wore white hooded robes with long sleeves, the hood tearing backwards as she ran to expose long, flowing midnight-blue hair. One hand was pressed against the bridge of her nose to keep her glasses in place. Her other hand hung on for dear life to the violet-haired young woman running just a pace behind her…_

_The sight strengthened Homura, giving her enough energy to fire off another dozen arrows. "Hiiragi-san!" she shouted, trying to keep her voice even. "They're almost here! It's almost over!"_

_Throwing caution to the wind, Kagami ran to the window and looked down, clutching the sill so hard her knuckles turned white. It was really her… Tsukasa was wearing her hair a little longer than the last time she had seen her, but the yellow bow was unmistakable. Her twin sister glanced up and smiled as if she didn't have a care in the world, waving wildly with her free hand._

"_Tsukasa!" Kagami called out over the cacophony of battle, not caring whether she could hear. "Tsukasa, you're almost there! Just a few more steps! You can do it!"_

"Onee-chan!_" Her voice was faint, but it carried up to the window to light a fire in Kagami's heart. "_Onee-chan!"

_The Puella Magi running with her, Misaki, hauled Tsukasa forward as they crossed the barrier at the gate's threshold, now less than three meters from the hotel's front door. She stopped, and the bubble morphed into a wall of blue light, stretching itself to add another layer of protection to the field. "Hiiragi, run for the door! We'll hold them off!" she cried, as the cloud howled with rage overhead. "Kaoru, cover me from above!"_

_Twenty feet off the ground, a girl with fiery orange hair erupted from the darkness, her body glowing with power. A sphere of light gathered at her foot as she turned a pirouette in midair. "Got it! _Palla di Cannone!_" With a ferocious swipe of her leg, she sent the sphere hurtling into the cloud's depths like a comet. Fire and smoke swelled up within it as an explosion blew a four-meter hole in its body… It screamed louder than ever, the arms sprouting out of it spasmed… _"_Now, Hiiragi,_ now!"

_Tsukasa ran. She kept her eyes locked on Kagami's, still waving like a mad woman, looking utterly ridiculous but far too exhilarated to care. Ten more steps, and she would be inside._

_Kagami's heart soared. "Tsukasa!"_

"_I'm almost there, _onee-chan! _Just a-"_

_The cloud threw itself against the barrier with all its strength, and cracks spread through its shining surface, looking like glass fractured by a hammer. One single, enormous fork of blazing lightning slipped through… it dove straight at Umika and shattered her wall of light, lancing through her shoulder and out the other side to plunge into Tsukasa's back._

_Tsukasa's feet left the ground. Very slowly, as if she were underwater, she crumpled backward to the pavement, still smiling up at her sister even as the light faded from her eyes._

_The bow slipped from Homura's grasp._

_Kagami stood motionless at the window, still clutching the sill with all her might. She didn't move, she didn't make a sound._

_Outside, Kaoru was screaming, cradling Misaki in her lap and trying to stem the flow of blood from her friend's shoulder. "Umika-chan! _Umika-chan!_ Somebody get Yuma over here, Umika took a hit! Umi…"Her voice petered out as she followed Umika's horrified gaze to the body on the walk._

_Overhead, the barrier gave way entirely under the cloud's death throes, a few last sparks of lightning flashing weakly over its surface. The rain that had been held back by the field's energy began to fall on the hotel in earnest._

"_Hiiragi-san…?" Homura whispered. Carefully, hardly daring to breathe, she put her hand on Kagami's. "Hiiragi-san?"_

* * *

><p><em>"<em>Tsukasa!"

_ Kagami's cry rang out across the lawn as she burst out of the hotel doors, heedless of the falling rain. The Puellae Magi were gathered in a circle, their heads bowed. She knew there was at least one healer among them, there was still a chance. "Tsukasa, I'm coming! Tsukasa!" Roughly she shoved bodies out of the way. The other girls didn't matter, all that mattered was her sister… "Tsukasa!"_

_ Finally, she broke through the circle. Immediately she dropped to the wet ground and flung her arms around Tsukasa. She was still warm, thank God… Someone had closed her eyes, she might just be asleep, or unconscious. Kagami's fingers searched for a pulse at her wrist, at her neck… nothing. She slammed her palms against her ribs, once, twice, thrice, four times, and pressed her lips over Tsukasa's nose and mouth, forcing air into her lungs. _Please, God. Please. _It would be just like the movies, it had to be. Any moment now Tsukasa's heart would start beating again, she would cough and sit up, and everything would be fine._

_ "Hiiragi-san…?" said a soft voice behind her. Homura. "Hiiragi-san, I'm-"_

_ "I-it's all right," said Kagami, rising and forcing herself to smile. "She's going to be fine, right? You… you can use magic, you've got to have a way to-"_

_ Homura shut her eyes and forced herself to look away. "No. We can't."_

_ "Y-you've got to have a way." Kagami didn't know when she had started crying. Her cheeks were wet, but she hadn't felt a thing. "You're magical girls, I-I've seen it all the time… you j-just use your magic and w-wish hard enough, and you can… bring her back, right?"_

_ The words sent a shiver through the gathered Puellae Magi. Some turned away, like Homura had, unable to look. Others cringed. A few began to weep openly, their tears mingling with the rain._

_ At that moment, Homura would have given almost anything to not be the one to answer her. To let someone else tell Kagami the truth, to let someone else watch her last hope for her sister wither and die… but she knew, with terrible certainty, that it had to be her. She had to be the one. "Hiiragi-san…" She swallowed. Forcing the words out was like ripping open a wound. "Hiiragi-san, our magic… doesn't work like that. We can't bring her back. She's gone."_

_ "No," whispered Kagami. "No, that can't be true. No. You promised you'd keep her safe, Homura, you promised…" She turned back to her sister, grasping her shoulders. "Tsukasa, please, you've got to wake up. You've got to. Tsukasa? Please, Tsukasa. Tsukasa. Tsukasa. Tsukasa…"_

**END OF CHAPTER 8**


	9. Chapter 9: Make It Go Away

**CHAPTER 9: Make It Go Away**

**2012**

**La Beatrice Hotel, Tokyo**

**Three days before the end**

_"Fuck," said Kyoko, hanging her head between her knees._

_ Next to her, Oriko grimaced. "I would not put it exactly that way, but I share the sentiment."_

_ Chances were that everyone else in the hotel did too. The sense of grief pervaded every room, every hall, and every stairwell, as if it were a living being relentlessly seeking them out wherever they went, intent on punishing the Puellae Magi for daring to think that they couldn't possibly fail with so many working towards the same goal. Many of the younger ones were still in shock, while the older ones had become silent and withdrawn. Some were simply angry: at themselves, at the Demons, or at the world in general… It wasn't fair. They had been so _close_, and then everything had gone to Hell._

_ At the moment, Kyoko was exhibiting a complicated mixture of sadness and cynicism. "Is there any _better _way to put it?" mumbled Kyoko without looking up. "We fucked up. We fucked up big time, and someone got killed because of it. I _knew_ this was a bad idea."_

_ "What was?"_

_ "Teaming up. Puellae Magi don't _work_ in big groups. _That's_ why we fucked up."_

_ "No, it wasn't," said the girl with the long jet-black hair who was leaning against a door on the other side of the hall. As she turned toward Kyoko, the bells in her silver earrings jingled softly. She called herself Kazumi, and she was an enigma to the rest of the Puellae Magi. A slim, child-like figure, no one knew exactly who she was, where she came from, or even her last name… but she had a remarkable ability to keep the team that called themselves the Pleiades Saints together and functioning. Saki was their leader, but Kazumi was their heart. "It wasn't working together that made us fail," she continued, glaring at the red-haired girl. "We performed better as a team than anyone could have expected. We all did the best we could… it just wasn't enough."_

_ "Understatement of the fucking year."_

_ "So what now, Oriko-sama?" said Kirika Kure, sitting to Oriko's left. Not even the tragedy of the last twenty-four hours could cleave her from her beloved's side for long. Some of the other girls found her creepy… but no one would ever, _ever_ say so to Kirika's face. The rumors were that she was a delinquent, unstable, bipolar, possibly even psychotic… but she followed Oriko's orders without question. She was absolutely, unwaveringly loyal, and that was enough._

_ Oriko closed her eyes and shook her head. She wanted so badly to be the leader everyone needed right now, the leader Kirika thought she was… "I do not know," she admitted._

_ That threw Kirika for a loop. "B-But Oriko-sama, you _always_ know!" she sputtered, flailing her arms like a child. "You must have _something…_"_

_ "I'm with her, Mikuni," said a severe voice coming up the stairs. Saki Asami's trademark scowl seemed to have become a permanent fixture of her face over the past day. Underneath her faux-military battle costume and stern, rock-hard demeanor, so the other Pleiades claimed, was a romantic, a gentle soul that truly cared about those she led into battle. Perhaps that was true, but there was no evidence of it now. "You'd better have some kind of plan," said Saki, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "because things are deteriorating downstairs."_

_ Oriko looked over at her sadly as the younger girl rose out of the stairwell. "What is happening?"_

_ "Ayase and Luca want to leave," Saki growled, her voice bitter with loathing. "They've been saying so, loudly. At least a half-dozen other girls want to go with them, and more are starting to waver."_

_ "Why…?" said Kazumi, her eyes widening. "Saki-chan, why would they-"_

_ The Pleiades' leader snorted. "I don't know about the others, but the Soujus said they've finished the job you brought them here to do, Mikuni. They claim there's no more reason for them to risk their lives."_

_ Kirika stood up violently, her eyes flashing. "You tell them that if they disrespect Oriko-sama again, I'll tear them apart! I'll rip open their-"_

_ "That's enough, Kirika, thank you," said Oriko, taking hold of Kirika's hand before she could charge off and do something inadvisable."I understand their frustration, but we cannot let anyone leave just yet. Kirika, Asami-san, if you would please assure them that I will let them go as soon as I am certain the danger has passed."_

_ Saki nodded and started back down the stairs. Kirika flashed Oriko an unnerving toothy smile and a salute, then followed after her._

_ "You weren't serious about that last part, right?" said Kyoko after they were out of earshot. There was fear and desperation in her eyes. "Tell me you were kidding, Mikuni… Tell me things aren't gonna get _worse…_"_

_ Oriko said nothing._

_ "Mikuni-san?" Kazumi took a hesitant step forward. _

_ "I do not know," The white Magi shook her head. "Everything I see is clouded, but I fear that a greater darkness will soon envelop us all…"_

_ The pall of silence that fell over the hallway at those words was broken by the faint, muffled sound of breaking china. Everyone's eyes turned toward the door to the hotel room, shut and locked almost constantly since yesterday afternoon. The sound had come from inside._

_ A few seconds later, the latch turned over. A crack appeared as the door opened just slightly, and a face framed by golden curled pigtails peeked out. Her amber eyes were weary with shared grief. "Kazumi-san," she said quietly. "It's your shift."_

_ Kazumi nodded and slipped past her, as Mami Tomoe emerged from the darkness within and heaved a mournful sigh. Once outside she slumped against the wall for support, as if a great weight were on her shoulders, pushing her down. One hand pulled the door closed behind her, the other held a saucer that bore the shattered remains of a teacup._

_Normally a symbol of calm and tranquility, Mami had been more disturbed upon hearing the news than anyone had ever seen her... she wept as bitterly as if Tsukasa had been her own family, and couldn't come within a meter of the body without suffering terrible convulsions. Once her injuries from the battle were healed, she disappeared with Kyoko for several hours, and only when they returned was she composed enough to offer her help._

_ Kyoko leapt to her feet to put an arm around her. She had never seen Mami looking more exhausted, but she knew she was far tougher than she looked; she could take it. The occupant of the room, however… "Mami? How is she doing?"_

_ "Still the same," said Mami. "She won't talk to me at all, and she's barely eaten. When she's not crying or sleeping, she's angry… I tried making her some tea, but…" She looked down at the cup lying broken in its saucer and shuddered._

_ "Dammit," said Kyoko, looking helplessly from Mami to the door and back again, at a loss for what to do. "Didn't you tell her we know what it's-"_

_ "I tried," said Mami, averting her gaze from her friend. "I tried, but it didn't help. I don't know what else to do..."_

_ "Just… just hang in there," said Kyoko, patting her back gingerly. She knew it was a pointless gesture, as feeble as her words of false comfort… but what else could she say? "Maybe when Akemi gets back, she'll…" She trailed off. _Really, what could Akemi possibly do? _said the voice of the nasty little cynic in her mind, who was becoming a seriously unwelcome presence._

_ "Is she still with the family?" Mami's head lifted up just slightly._

_ Oriko nodded. "As far as I know. I would call to check on her, but… she asked for privacy."_

_ "What is she telling them, anyway?" asked Kyoko, unable to contain her curiosity, morbid though it was. "Not the truth, I hope."_

_ "Obviously not. The report Kanna-san forged states that a blocked artery was the official cause of death. Asuka-san was able to…" Here Oriko tried and failed to suppress a shudder. "… to alter the body enough to pass an examination."_

_ Kyoko cringed. "Yeah, gotcha. Seems like as good an explanation as any. There's no reason to make them think it was… violent."_

_ "Those poor people…" Mami sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her free hand. The pieces of the cup rattled in the saucer; she was trembling. "Isn't there anything else we can do for them?"_

_ "We have already done all we can," said Oriko. "It is best not to involve them further."_

_ "But…" Mami's lower lip quivered. "Shouldn't we at least let Hiiragi-san go home? She should be with-"_

_ "No," said Oriko firmly. "She still needs our protection. Of that much I am certain."_

_ Kyoko hurriedly patted Mami's back again, recognizing the way her eyes were wavering. "Oh crap… C'mon, Mami, don't start the waterworks again! It's gonna be okay. We'll get her home once we know it's safe. For now, let's go get you something to eat, you must be starving."_

_ The blonde-haired girl smiled weakly and nodded, and arm-in-arm the two headed for their own room._

_ Soon Oriko was alone with her thoughts once more. She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, directing all her energy into clearing the black clouds that obscured her visions. If she couldn't see what was ahead, she would be of no use to anyone. _Come on,_ she thought. _Show me something. Please, give me some guidance.

_It was no use; the darkness remained as thick and impenetrable as ever. Perhaps if she used more power…_

Mikuni? _Another voice interrupted her thoughts, solid and immovable as stone. _Akemi and Anri are back, they just came in through the front door.

_ Oriko buried her annoyance beneath a veneer of polite calm. _Thank you, Kanna-san. If you would, please send them up here.

* * *

><p><em>Homura knew Oriko needed to speak with her, but she was the last person she wanted to see at the moment. Every fiber of her being screamed to go back up to the room, to be with Kagami… but no. She would follow directions. She didn't object when she was chosen to go with Anri to inform the family… Anri had had to pose as an adult police officer to deliver the falsified reports. She was oddly convincing at it… maybe a little too much so, as her performance made Homura faintly uneasy. But never mind, she hadn't objected then, and she wouldn't object now. She wouldn't be <em>happy_ about it, but she could suppress that. She would finish her duties, and _then_ see to Kagami._

Are you sure you don't need to rest, Homura? _said Kyubey from his perch on her shoulder. _You've been traveling all day.

I'm fine, _she thought back at him, knowing he would ignore the lie._

_ "Akemi-san,"_ _said Oriko by way of greeting as she climbed the last stair. "Was there any trouble coming back?"_

_ "No," said Homura. "Everything is quiet."_

_ "Hmm." Oriko put a hand to her chin. "I do not like this. It feels wrong…"_

_ Homura waited as long as she could stand, but finally she had to ask: "How is she?"_

_ Oriko was about to answer, when something heavy and fragile crashed against the locked door. From within, they could hear Kazumi trying to say something, her voice timid and sympathetic, but livid screaming swiftly drowned it out. "Go away! I don't want your pity!_ Just shut up and leave me the hell alone!_"_

_ The door flew open and Kazumi stumbled out, her eyes wide and frightened, looking more vulnerable and child-like than ever in her distress. She stumbled and almost twisted her ankle over the fragments of a lamp that lay at her feet in the door frame, but she quickly righted herself and turned back around. "I'm so sorry, Hiiragi-san, I didn't mean to-"_

_ The door shut in her face with a titanic slam._

_ Homura was by her side in an instant. "Kazumi?"_

_ "She…" Kazumi sniffled and hugged herself tight. "I don't even know what I _said!_ She just snapped and threw the lamp at me…"_

_ "Don't worry." Homura put a hand on her shoulder. "It wasn't your fault. I'll take over."_

You know, _said Kyubey, hopping down to the floor, _I've been thinking. Part of your duty as Puellae Magi is to ease suffering, right? She has more than enough motivation to fight Demons now, though she is a bit older than the rest of you. If I were to offer-

_Kyubey suddenly found himself face-to-face with the bladed end of a cross-shaped staff and the point of an arrowhead composed of violet fire._

_ "No," Homura's tone was as cold and bitter as midwinter. "Never. You are not to approach her, nor speak with her, at any time, _ever._ Do you understand me?"_

_ Kyubey blinked. _All I was suggesting was a way to ease her pain. Was that so wrong?

_"Not that way!" hissed Kazumi, her eyes flashing with anger as she shoved the point of her staff closer to his neck. "The last thing she needs is to hear about contracts and wishes!"_

_ "Listen to me very carefully, Kyubey," said Homura, keeping her voice as even as possible. "If you breathe so much as one word to Hiiragi-san, _one word, _I will have Ayase freeze you solid and drop you into the deepest part of Tokyo Bay, and afterward I will shoot any copies of you that I see, on sight, without hesitation. Is that clear?"_

_ His ears stood up for a second. How on earth did Homura know about that? He had never been killed in her presence before, he was certain… _I understand, Homura, _he said._

_ The arrow moved away, but the staff stayed trained on him. "Good," said Homura. "I will see to Hiiragi-san. _You_ can stay here and fill Mikuni in on the rest of the details."_

But- _Kyubey began._

_ "Your cooperation won't be necessary."_

_ The Incubator sighed. _All right, I'll do as you say.

_Without another word, Homura stepped in front of the door. She knocked softly and said, "Hiiragi-san, it's me. I'm coming in."_ _A brief spark of magic unlocked the latch. She gingerly made her way around what was left of the lamp, and closed the door behind her._

I don't understand you humans at all,_ said Kyubey, shaking his head. _Why must you always-

_"Shut up, Kyubey," chorused Kazumi and Oriko at once._

_ Kyubey fell silent._

* * *

><p><em> "Hiiragi-san?"<em>

_ A palpable sense of despair hung like dense fog over the room; Homura could almost feel it on her skin. With great care, she approached the window where Kagami sat huddled over. "Hiiragi-san?"_

_ There was no answer. Kagami's long lavender hair hung loose and disheveled, spread around her like a cloak; loose strands dangled down into her face, stuck to her cheeks with dried tears she hadn't bothered to wipe away. Her face was very pale, and her eyes looked… hollow, ringed with shadow, empty of everything but grief._

_ "Hiiragi-san?" said Homura again, putting a gentle hand on her shoulder._

_ "You're back." Kagami spoke the words with no emotion at all._

_ "Yes."_

_ "Did you tell them?"_

_ "I did."_

_ "And?"_

_ Homura swallowed. She wanted to lie, but she knew that would be of no help. "They… didn't take it well. Your father was furious."_

_ "With me?"_

_ "Wh-what?" She wasn't sure she heard correctly._

_ "Is he angry with me?" said Kagami in monotone._

_ "Hiiragi-san, why would he be angry with you?"_

_ "Because I'm not there with them. Because I didn't do anything to stop it."_

_ Homura slid closer. "Hiiragi-san, you mustn't blame yourself." _Blame me, _said a small voice inside herself that she fought to suppress. "There was nothing you could have done… nothing _any_ of us could have done."_

_ She was silent for a long time. "I hate this," she said finally. "I hate feeling this way. I hate knowing she's gone." The monotone was breaking, replaced by anger slowly heating to a boil... "I hate it. I _hate_ it, Homura. Everyone keeps saying how sorry they are, and I hate them for it… and I hate myself for hating them… I hate all of it. Everything…"_

_ "I know," said Homura, all too familiar with that feeling. "I know."_

_ Kagami spun around to face her, tears springing to her eyes again. "Why?" she said, her voice rising. "Why Tsukasa? What did she ever do to anyone? She was sweet and gentle and she… and they killed her. They killed her for no reason! Tell me why, Homura!" One of her hands curled into a fist and beat at the Puella Magi's shoulder, making her wince. "I want her back, dammit, I want my sister back! It's not fair! _It's not fair…!_"_

_ Homura just sat and let the other girl's fists pound on her shoulder. It was the least she could do; she could take the pain, and Kagami needed some kind of release, some way to vent her anger. She had to be strong, for her… but when the blows stopped and Kagami sank sobbing into her lap, Homura started to cry along with her, cradling the older girl in her arms and rocking her back and forth. It was all she could do._

**Two days before the end**

_They had gone to bed with their arms around each other, and somehow, impossibly, they had fallen asleep. So when Homura awoke the next morning, she felt a surge of panic upon finding herself alone. The sheets and pillow were cold next to her. _No,_ she thought, ready to throw off the blankets and summon the other Puellae Magi in a heartbeat._ She couldn't have-

_"Homura? Are you awake?"_

_ Homura's head snapped up… and she nearly did a double-take._

_ Kagami was at the window again, fully dressed, standing up… and smiling. Really smiling, looking genuinely happy. It looked as if she had already showered; her face was scrubbed clean, and she smelled of something sweet and floral._

_For a moment, Homura wondered if she was having some sort of bizarre dream… she fought the urge to pinch herself. "Hiiragi-san…?" That smile was unnerving her._

"_It's okay, Homura," said Kagami, and she actually laughed. A soft, weak laugh, but still a laugh. "It's okay. I figured it out. It's going to be all right… I know you can help me."_

_Far from reassuring her, that only disturbed Homura more. "Help you? How?"_

_Kagami crossed to the bed. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her from behind… Homura was reminded of photographs of angels depicted in stained glass. The older girl took her hand and clasped it tight. "I remembered when I woke up this morning. You said before that Puellae Magi can shut off pain so they can fight better, right?"_

_Homura's heart sank deep into her stomach. _Oh no. Please, no. Don't ask for that, please… Ask me for anything, just not that! _"Y-yes, that's right," she whispered, dreading what was coming next._

"_So… can you take away _my_ pain?" said Kagami, her eyes shining. "Can you do that for me, Homura?"_

_It was impossible to speak; Homura's throat had gone too tight. For the first time in a long time, she longed for her old clockwork shield. If she could only stop time again, and slip away while everything was frozen… she would never have to answer Kagami, never have to crush her one last hope._

_Temptation gnawed savagely at her. She could do it, she knew. It was well within her abilities. It would stop Kagami from suffering any more. But…_

_A horrible memory floated to the forefront of her mind. In that memory, she was inside a Witch's Maze, before everything changed… The Maze was starkly contrasted, pitch-black ground against a white sky in which strange shapes turned and twisted. There was a girl there, another Puella Magi. She was standing over the smashed, broken remains of a Witch, covered in a mixture of its blood and her own, holding a cutlass with a red-stained, dripping blade. The Witch was little more than a huge red smear on the black ground, dotted with pieces of torn and mangled flesh, and the Puella Magi was smiling… a horrible, obscenely happy smile. "He was right," said the girl. "It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt at all."_

"_No," whispered Homura. "I can't."_

_Kagami's smile trembled, and her hand squeezed Homura's reflexively. "Wh-what do you mean?"_

"_I can't, Hiiragi-san." Homura's vision blurred; her eyes were burning. "I can't."_

_The smile broke. "But… but you have to. I can't take this anymore, Homura! Please, I'm _begging_ you, make it go away…"_

"_Hiiragi-san…" Homura took a deep breath and pushed her emotions deep down, hiding them away within herself, just as she had done so many times before. "There's a reason Puellae Magi only use that kind of magic in dire need. When you stop feeling pain, you become something unnatural, twisted… broken. Gradually your other senses fade away, and you lose the ability to feel _anything…_" Her voice began to quaver. "If I did what you're asking of me, I'd be taking away what makes you human. I… I care about you too much to see that happen."_

_The older girl's face was falling, darkening. "I… I thought you of all people would understand... to feel lonely like this, to hurt like this…"_

_Homura's emotions swelled up and broke her heart in two. "I do," she said, unable to stop the tears she had repressed. "I understand more than you could ever know. I want to take away your suffering, Hiiragi-san, more than anything… but I can't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"_

_A primal cry tore itself from deep within Kagami as she sank to the floor, unable to stand any longer. The cry went on and on, a wail of absolute despair, of dying hope… Its echoes sent a collective shudder through everyone who heard it, and when it finally faded out, there was only a terrible, awful silence left behind… the silence of the grave._

**One day before the end**

_"Hiiragi-san?"_

_ "Go away."_

_ "Kazumi made you some food. It's her specialty… strawberry risotto."_

_ "I don't want it."_

_ "You have to eat, Hiiragi-san. You have to keep your strength up."_

_ "I said I don't want it. Just go away."_

_ "… If that's what you really want. I'll send Kyoko in."_

_ "Whatever, I don't care."_

_ "Good bye, Hiiragi-san. I will be back later."_

_ There was no answer._

_ "Hiiragi-san?"_

_ "… I hate you."_

_ No weapon on earth could have wounded Homura as deeply as those words did. "Hiiragi-san…"_

_ "Just go away. I don't care anymore. I hate you. I hate… everything…"_

**Twelve hours before the end**

_It was just after four in the morning. The January wind swept bitterly over the hotel, making Homura shiver. She sat on the edge of the roof, crying silently, her precious red ribbon clutched tightly in her hands. _

_ Two hours ago, as she laid wide awake in bed, listening to Kagami breathing next to her, she had come to a terrible realization. It made her sit bolt upright in shock, and drove the thought of sleep completely from her mind. So she had come up here with her ribbon to be alone._

_ But she was never really alone, she knew. The ribbon was her proof. No Puella Magi ever had to be alone again, thanks to _her_. She was always there, always watching… and that was why Homura was crying._

Please forgive me,_ she thought, pressing the ribbon to her chest. _I know you can see and hear me, somehow, so please forgive me. I don't know how it happened. I never thought I would feel this way again… I never thought I could betray you like this. These feelings… I keep wishing they would go away, but they won't… all I can do is hide them away. I've done a terrible thing, so please… if you can find it in your heart… forgive me…

**Four minutes before the end**

_The water made a clockwise spiral as it filtered down the drain of the sink. Homura watched it swirl away, then looked up into the bathroom mirror. Her cheeks were still wet, and her eyes were red. She took a towel from its rack and pressed it against her face, took a deep breath to steady herself, then opened the door and returned to the room._

_ Kagami was going home. Oriko had finally decided that it would be cruel to keep her from mourning with her family any longer, so they had arranged a series of patrols to follow the bus that would be taking her back to Takanomiya. Alternating pairs of Puellae Magi would secretly watch the Hiiragi house for two weeks afterward, and would report anything suspicious back to the others. Feelings among their number were mixed; quite a few, the Soujus especially, were looking forward to leaving the hotel and its gloom behind and returning to their home cities and normal lives… for a given definition of "normal", anyway. Some, however, had managed to bond with each other in shared grief… there was even some talk of a few new groups forming, following the Pleiades' example._

_ None of that mattered to Homura. All she wanted was for it to be over. Perhaps once Kagami Hiiragi was gone from her life, she would return to her senses. Perhaps then she could stop hating herself…_

_ Kagami sat huddled in the darkest corner of the room, her knees up to her chin and her arms crossed in front of her face. For the last day, she had been moving slowly and mechanically as if sleepwalking, barely responding to anything. In fact, she had not moved from that spot for several hours. She hadn't even removed the fluffy pink towel she had wrapped around herself after taking a bath that morning; she simply didn't care._

_ "Hiiragi-san?" said Homura, treading carefully. Another breakdown was the last thing anyone needed right now. "It's time to get dressed."_

_ There was no reply._

_ "Hiiragi-san, you need to get up. The bus will be here soon."_

_ Still no answer._

_ "Hiiragi-san?"_

_ Then, for the first time that day, she spoke. She didn't bother to look up, so the words were mumbled into her arms. Even if she had faced Homura to say it, her voice was so quiet that it was impossible to hear._

_ Homura took a few steps toward her. "What did you say?"_

_ Another sentence, as faint and unintelligible as the first one._

_ Abandoning her caution, Homura crossed over to the corner and sat down next to her. Her hand hesitated for a moment, then shook Kagami's shoulder. "Hiiragi-san?"_

_ This time Homura heard her. "I figured it out," said Kagami, still not looking up. She spoke in a sighing whisper, like air slowly escaping from a deflating balloon… it made Homura's skin crawl. "I figured it out," she said again. "I was sitting here, and I just realized all of a sudden…"_

_ "What did you realize?" said Homura, edging just a bit closer._

_ "Tsukasa's dead," Kagami said in that eerie whisper-sigh, "and if I don't make the ones who killed her pay… she'll never go to Heaven. Even when I die, I'll never see her again."_

_ Homura cringed. "Hiiragi-san, I promise you, we'll make the Demons regret-"_

_ "Not the Demons," said Kagami._

_ That was when Homura noticed it. The older girl was clutching something tightly in her fist, and the shadows in her corner of the room weren't natural… whatever she was holding was making the corner darker than it should have been._

_ Cold panic seized Homura's heart. "No." Her hand moved like lightning, prying open Kagami's fist with all her strength. "No. No. No…"_

_ In the palm of Kagami's hand rested a small cube with a spindle rammed through it. Black clouds swirled inside, as if there were a rainstorm trapped within it…_

_ "NO!" Homura howled and swatted the Curse Seed away, and sent it skittering across the floor. Beyond caring, she threw her arms around Kagami's waist, buried her face against her breast, and broke down sobbing. "Hiiragi-san, no! Don't let it feed on you, you have to fight it! Please, fight it… come back…"_

_ Her body was growing cold. Homura held her tighter, as if she could force her own warmth into her by thought alone. "We'll stop it, Hiiragi-san, I promise. Just please, come back…" She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling drops falling onto the towel, onto Kagami's skin._

_ The black cube lurched where it had landed on the floor. Darkness seeped out of its angles, flowing in a serpentine pattern towards them. As it touched Kagami's limp body it began to spread, like an oil slick, peach skin vanishing under pure black._

_ Homura felt the cold increasing. Kagami was making no effort to get up, to escape the darkness that was leeching off of her. She looked up at her face, into her beautiful blue eyes, and laid a hand against her cheek. Willing it to work, willing her words to reach her, she whispered... "Hiiragi-san… Kagami… Don't leave me… I love you…"_

_ Kagami spoke in a voice that was warped and distorted horribly. _"Etartni'hc iov," _she said as her eyes frosted over, _"aznareps engo etaicsal…" _Her body pulled away from Homura's embrace, sinking completely into the dark._

_ And Homura's blood ran cold, as she finally realized what was truly happening. Kagami wasn't feeding a Demon… she was _becoming_ one._

No, _she thought, her whole body trembling as she crawled backward from the _thing_ that had taken Kagami into itself. "No,"_ _she said aloud. The slick of liquid darkness seeping from the cube was retracting, pulling the Curse Seed into the slowly resolving body of the new Demon. "No, that's not possible…"_

_The shape was growing, becoming taller. Formless black began to give berth to an enormous humanoid shape in chalk-white robes, pale as death. Its hands emerged from the folds, fingertips glowing with power._

_From somewhere far away, Homura felt herself rising to her feet, to meet the Demon looming over her. Her battle costume formed around her automatically, and her ebony bow materialized in her shaking hand. "No," she said, though she knew the Demon couldn't understand her. "I won't let this happen to you. I won't… I won't…" An arrow flared into life, already notched, and she slowly drew it back, aiming at the Demon's flickering skull. "I won't…" Someone was pounding on the door behind her, but it didn't matter. The point of the arrow wavered, but stayed trained on its target. "I…"_

_The Demon's mouth opened, letting out an agonizing moan in a mockery of Kagami's voice._

_And the face of Kagami Hiiragi flashed into Homura's mind, and she froze. The memory of them drinking tea together late at night... Kagami was telling a story, laughing… Then another memory, of a girl lying on a slab of broken concrete, holding up something in her palm. A wail of unspeakable agony echoed through a shattered city, followed by a flash, a shot, and the powerful buck of a gun's recoil._

I can't.

I can't.

I can't.

I can't.

_The arrow faded away as Homura began to let the bow drop. She couldn't feel the tears running down her cheeks._

"Tiro Finale!"

"Limiti Esterni!"

_The door exploded. A bolt of heat and energy threw Homura aside with its wake and struck the demon point-blank. Its orange blood splattered the walls and ceiling, and somehow it screamed, though its head was gone…_

_Mami and Kazumi leaped through the smoking hole that was once a door, followed shortly by Kyoko, Oriko, Kirika, and Saki. Mami threw one of the muskets she carried aside, and kept the other trained on the twitching body in the corner._

"_Akemi-san, what _happened?_" Kazumi half-shrieked as she ran forward to kneel by Homura's side. "We felt a power surge… Where did that Demon come from? Where's Hiiragi-san?"_

_Homura allowed herself to be pulled upright. Her whole body was shivering. Unable to answer, she raised her hand and pointed at the Demon._

_Oriko's face turned as white as the dress she wore. "That can't-"_

_The other girls burst into a frenzy of overlapping speech._

"_How the hell did-"_

"_Oriko-sama, what do we do?"_

"_Get back! Everyone, get back!"_

"_Call the others up here, quickly! It may still-"_

"_That's not… she couldn't have…!"_

"_EVERYONE!" Kazumi shouted over the din, slamming the foot of her staff into the ground for emphasis. "Get behind me, it's still moving!"_

_They all moved a meter back, Homura having to be dragged by Kyoko until she could find the strength to walk. A barrier of white light sprung from Kazumi's staff, sealing them off from the Demon…_

_It was changing, its first form splitting in half as something much larger tore its way out. An almost perfect darkness, so dark it made pitch-black look bright, coalesced into a roughly spheroid body with multiple branches extending outward… as if someone had decided to give a spider dozens of extra legs, all of different sizes . Twelve eyes like burning coals opened one by one to stare lividly at the Puellae Magi. The branch-legs began to grow more branches, bending at bizarre angles, their sharpened tips reaching for the barrier._

"_Somebody, get downstairs!" Kazumi shouted, looking back over her shoulder. "Bring up whoever has a long-range wea-"_

_The words died on Kazumi's lips. One of the black branches had simply passed _through_ the barrier as if it were air. Its tip bulged, fattened, and split open like the petals of a flower… the undersides of the petals looked like raw meat, wet and glistening, and there was something inside the branch's center, glimpsed only for an instant… a face… Kagami's face. Darting forward like a snake, the branch latched itself to the side of Kazumi's head, the petals clamping on to her skin, spreading tiny dark roots through her flesh._

_The others saw the branch pulse once, and Kazumi's face went blank._

_It pulsed twice, and the staff dropped from her hand, the barrier flickering into nothingness as the staff faded away._

_It pulsed a third time, and then Kazumi's body dropped like a stone as the branch let her go, dead before she hit the floor. The blank expression was frozen on her face; her eyes were wide and staring at the ceiling. The Soul Gem in her earring wasn't broken or corrupted… it was empty_.

_Saki screamed Kazumi's name, just as the Demon's burning eyes emitted a flash of searing, hellish light…_

* * *

><p><em>Homura awoke in a pile of rubble. She blinked, confused, unsure of what she was seeing at first…<em>

_Then she realized. The front half of the hotel was gone. Its ruins lay around her in a smoldering heap. Voices filtered through the smoke, some shouting commands, some crying… a few screaming the same name, over and over again._

_Homura turned to face the street. Something had punched a crater clear through the middle of the asphalt, to the soil underneath… the broken edges were slowly dulling from burning red to grey, and the stink of burning tar hung heavy in the air. More craters led a zigzag pattern down the street and out of sight._

_The enormous shadow that was visible on the horizon in the distance gave a terrible roar, and as she watched one of its branching arms tore a great slash in the sky as if it was made of paper, leaving behind a wound that glowed bright crimson._

_Homura went numb, numb to the chaos all around her, numb to Oriko when she emerged from the smoke to start giving her orders… Sorrow and shame were all she could feel. The rest was just… nothing. She couldn't even cry._

**END OF CHAPTER 9**


	10. Chapter 10: I Just Can't Stop Myself

**CHAPTER 10: I Just Can't Stop Myself**

**2007**

**Hiiragi household, Takanomiya**

"Finished already? Let me see."

"'Kay." Tsukasa slid the paper across the table, then rubbed at her eyes.

Kagami scanned her writing and smiled. "This is really good… you're definitely improving."

"Thanks, _onee-chan_. Yuki-chan's been helping me a lot…"

"Mmm-hmm. There's just one thing here…" She smirked. "Her name's 'Lenore.'"

"Huh?" Tsukasa blinked and cocked her head.

"It's _'Dreaming of the lost Lenore,'_", said Kagami, carefully sounding out the English words. "'Not 'Renoir', that's a French painter."

The younger twin's face slipped into an expression of panic. "B-But… I thought he was missing a valuable painting, like it had been stolen or something, and that was why he was so sad… _Uwaaah!_" she groaned, grinding her knuckles against her temple, "I'm such an idiot!"

Despite herself, Kagami laughed. "Calm down, calm down! It's an easy mistake to make. Here, just change the letters. I'll help you."

"Thanks, _onee-chan_," said Tsukasa again, grinning sheepishly. "I guess that _does_ make a lot more sense."

Once the paper was corrected, Kagami leaned back and stretched her arms above her head. "That takes care of that… I think I'll go upstairs and take a bath."

"That sounds nice," said Tsukasa. "Do you want me to start making a snack or something for after you get out?"

"Nah, I'm fine." Kagami waved a hand in her direction as she stood up from the table. "I should be watching what I'm eating."

* * *

><p>Two weeks had gone by, and the initial furor of interest over Homura's arrival at Ryouou had given way to normal routine. No longer was she attracting stares in the hallways or amazing people on the track or in the computer lab… if anything, she seemed to be making a concentrated effort to blend into the background. She and Kagami had barely spoken since the nurse's office, save for a few words of small talk every other day or so.<p>

Konata, of course, was being as annoying about it as she possibly could. Only threats of physical violence and no more help with homework had stopped her from making cracks about Kagami and Homura's "lover's spat".

Kagami sighed as she climbed the stairs. Her life was finally back to normal… or _mostly_ normal, save for Kyubey's constant presence around her. This was exactly what she had wanted ever since that afternoon on the train… so why this sense of gloom? Why was she still thinking about Homura, even though the other girl had barely said a full sentence to her in two weeks?

_Maybe I just haven't adjusted yet,_ she mused to herself as she shook off her blouse and let her skirt drop to the bathroom floor. _We went through so much in just two days that "normal" doesn't feel right. Maybe that's it._ Off came her bra, joining her other clothes in the pile. She pulled down her panties and tossed them off, then pulled the ribbons from her hair, letting her pigtails fall into loose strands.

The bathroom's mirrors fogged over with steam as she filled her bucket with some of the hot water from the faucet, letting the rest fill the tub. _I wish she'd talk to me. _She'd tried asking more questions of Kyubey, but his answers were almost always either maddeningly vague or supremely unhelpful. He didn't understand emotions and wouldn't talk about what happened in the other universe. Hell, he didn't even seem to know very much about Homura, for a companion of hers… Eventually Kagami had decided that talking to him was a waste of time, and she resolved to ignore his presence unless he felt the need to speak with her. That seemed to be working well for the both of them.

She tipped the bucket over herself, washing away the soap suds. For a moment she watched the water and bubbles swirl down the drain, then she climbed into the tub, sinking gratefully into its warmth… The water was heavenly, and did a wonderful job of easing away the tensions of the day. _Physical_ tensions, anyway. Mental tensions were more than one bath could help with.

Kagami was beginning to pick up on the subtle clues of Homura's moods, she knew. Even though they had known each other for such a short time, they had been through so much in those two days that the Puella Magi seemed more… _open_ to her than she did to anyone else. So Kagami knew for certain that something was bothering her… it was all there in her voice, in the way she paused to choose her words so carefully before speaking. _Something_ had her worried, but for whatever reason, Homura wouldn't tell her what that was.

She sighed and leaned back, resting her head against the lip of the tub. _What _is_ it with you, Homura? Why are you doing this to me? My homework's done, my chores are finished, and I'm here in a nice hot bath… I should be relaxed, but I'm not. I just can't stop myself from thinking about you. Dammit..._

Homura. Kagami turned her image over and over in her mind. Homura… quiet and withdrawn, almost always wearing that stony expression, speaking in a monotone whisper… Her pale face, her cold violet eyes, the way she often flipped her long black hair back when she stood up… Homura, the sad, haunted girl who fought a war that had claimed the lives of her friends, who hid behind a façade of indifference that only Kagami could see through…

Kagami's hands began to wander. _Homura._ She thought about seeing her on the roof across the street, standing there in the moonlight, bathed in silver. _Homura…_ Her fingertips sank down into the water, resting lightly against her belly. She thought about the graceful dance of Homura's transformation, how she charged into battle with the second Demon without hesitation, without a word. So brave, so strong… so lonely. She was a stranger lost in an unfamiliar world, only a schoolgirl on the surface. Kagami found that to be tragic. She wondered if anything could ever make Homura smile… but she couldn't even picture a smile on that face, the very idea was too disturbing.

_Homura._ Even her name was strange, but somehow that added to her mystery, her allure… Her fingers were slipping lower. They had a secret together, a dark secret that no one else could know. And she and the other Kagami… something had happened between them. That was a secret that Homura refused to tell… what was it? Could they have possibly…

"Mmmf…" Ripples formed on the surface of the water as Kagami squirmed. Her imagination was running wild now, feeding her images and sounds that didn't make sense. Homura was going through the motions of the dance again, but this time her school uniform was falling away and leaving nothing behind. Homura was standing out there on the roof across the street, a shadow against the brilliant white disc of the full moon, beckoning to her. Homura was looking down at Kagami in her lap, her violet eyes just about to spill over with tears, leaning down very close to her and parting her lips…

_Kagami?_ said a cold, clinical voice in her mind. _Are you all right?_

_"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"_

Kyubey recoiled back slightly from his perch on the bathroom windowsill, startled by the sudden noise. _I just wanted to make sure that-_

"GET OUT! _GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!_" shrieked Kagami, her whole body turning red as a beet as she ducked down into the water up to her chin, clasping her hands over her breasts.

Kyubey tilted his head to the side. _Are you upset?_

_"OUUUUUUUUT!"_

A shampoo bottle shot past Kyubey's head like a missile, bouncing off the glass behind him and clattering to the floor. _Honestly, Kagami_, he thought at her,_ is that really necessary? You humans are-_ A tube of conditioner thrown at high velocity actually grazed one of his ears before he could finish the thought. Concluding that Kagami was in no state to listen to reason, he turned around and phased through the window, just in time to avoid the wooden sandal that struck the glass an instant later.

Kagami sat huddled in the water, panting hard, still clutching herself tightly as she fought to regain her composure. _I'll kill him_, she swore savagely to herself. _I don't care _what_ Homura says, I'll kill him!_

It took her a moment to hear someone knocking on the bathroom door. "_Onee-chan!_" Tsukasa's voice was frantic with worry. "Are you all right? I heard you screaming!"

"I'm…" Kagami swallowed. "I'm fine, Tsukasa, it's okay. I thought I saw a peeping tom…" _A peeping cat… rabbit… _whatever!she thought. "I'm all right, whatever it was is gone now."

Tsukasa didn't sound convinced. "If you say so. Do you want me to get Dad to look around outside?"

Kagami took a deep breath. It was almost tempting, but… "No, don't bother him. Tell him I'll be fine. Sorry for scaring you."

"Okay…" She still seemed doubtful, but she left it at that.

Once she was sure she was truly alone, Kagami drew her glistening fingers from the water and stared at them, utterly bewildered. _What on earth is wrong with me…?_

* * *

><p><strong>Kasukabe<strong>

_Here it comes._

Homura's thumb flicked open the detonator's molly-guard. She pressed her back against the rough surface of the black boulder as if she were trying to melt into it; she desperately hoped that it would shield her from the blast. Ten kilos of homemade C-4 would be overkill in any other case… not for this Demon.

It had pursued her slowly and relentlessly through its mountainous, boulder-strewn Lair for over an hour. Homura had thrown half her arsenal at the thing. Bullets did nothing, shells did nothing, and rockets barely made it flinch. The C-4 explosive was one of her final options; the others were to activate her wings and endure the massive power drain that came with using them, or to escape the Lair and come back later, giving the Demon opportunity to feed on more victims until she returned. Neither of those was preferable, so the explosive had to work. _Ten kilos has to be enough to crack its hide. Come on, come on._

Its heavy, thunderous footsteps were growing closer as it crossed the landscape of ever-shifting black boulders, which rolled back and forth ceaselessly, crashing into each other. The Demon was over three meters tall… it would have been taller except that its upper body hunched forward grotesquely just below its shoulders, as if its spine had been bent ninety degrees by a giant's hand. It took the form of a knight, encased from head to toe in lead armor. Thin veins of gold and silver crisscrossed the armor, connecting the plates to one another. In one hand, it carried a golden lance with a wicked, serrated underside. Strapped to its opposite forearm was a shield of polished silver. Apart from a few dents and pockmarks, the Demon showed no damage at all from Homura's attacks; it strode forward at the same steady pace, never slowing or quickening its steps, brushing aside the heavy boulders as easily as if they were made of cloth.

Now, however, it was nearing the spot where Homura had found enough soil to bury the explosive. All she had to do was wait until it walked directly over that spot. She focused all her attention on the tiny mound of soil amid the maze of boulders… and thanked her lucky stars that she had decided to go with a remote-detonated bomb rather than a pressure-sensitive land mine. The constant random rolling and crashing of the boulders would have set a mine off long before the Demon came close enough to get caught in the blast.

Homura flicked the molly-guard closed, then open again.

And then she nearly had a heart attack as someone laid a hand on her shoulder. Only her iron nerves kept her thumb from slipping and hitting the button.

"It'll never work, you know," said a feminine voice from behind her, as the hand squeezed gently.

Homura did a 180-degree turn on one heel, spinning around and drawing her Beretta from her shield, and pointing it directly into the face of…

Herself.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she bit back a scream. The Homura standing there with her wore a Mitakihara school uniform. A pair of red-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of her nose, and her long black hair was tied back in twin braids. She smiled, clasping her hands in front of herself. "Gaspare never tires," she said cheerfully. "Once he starts pursuing his prey, he never stops. Ever. He'll keep going until you're too weak to move. Then he'll destroy your body and shatter your Soul Gem."

Homura's hand shook, but she kept the pistol's barrel trained right between her duplicate's eyes. "Who are you? _What_ are you?"

She giggled. "Isn't it obvious? I'm you."

"That's a lie." _Please let it be a lie. Tell me I'm not going crazy..._

"I suppose it is. I'm not you anymore, am I? You killed me the day you made your contract, Homura Akemi."

"No," said Homura, turning pale. "This is a trick. You're one of the Demon's Spawn…"

Her double shook her head. "Gaspare doesn't have any Spawn. He ate them all to increase his own power."

_So that's it,_ thought Homura, her stomach churning. She had wondered why this Lair was so unnaturally empty… "What do you want?"

"You," said the other girl with a horrible, sadistic smile that sent a crawling chill down Homura's spine. "You stole my life from me, Homura Akemi. You killed me because of your own selfishness, your unwillingness to let her go. So now it's time for you to pay."

The footsteps of the Demon grew closer… far too close, it was almost upon her. The duplicate had so rattled her that she had nearly forgotten about it. Cursing herself for letting herself be distracted so easily, Homura flicked open the molly-guard and jabbed the button…

She felt the heat of the explosion even through a meter of solid rock. A hail of shrapnel pelted the other side of the boulder, accompanying the sudden rain of gravel, remnants of shattered rocks that were caught in the blast. The noise was deafening… for a moment her double's words were blessedly silenced. Once the echoes faded, Homura peeked around the boulder's edge… The bomb had made a crater two meters deep, and it was now filled with a sea of dirt and gravel. A single leaden armored hand remained uncovered by the debris, still and unmoving.

Before she could check to ensure the Demon's death, Homura felt a pair of human arms wrap around her waist, and a soft cheek nuzzling against her back. She froze…

"It doesn't matter," said the other Homura in a sultry whisper, somehow managing to be heard even above the ringing in her ears. "It's only a matter of time. You know that, right? You're only one Puella Magi, standing against a city full of Demons."

Repulsed, Homura pulled herself away, sending her double tumbling to the soil. Her heart pounded frantically against her ribs. The double was speaking her most private doubts and anxieties, she had somehow read her mind… This wasn't a savage, animalistic beast like a Demon or a Witch, it could _think… _Dropping the detonator, she wrapped both hands around her pistol and trained it on the other girl's skull once again. "Shut up."

"It's true, and you know it," said her double, not bothering to pick herself up, staring at Homura from the ground with crazed glee in her violet eyes. "You can't protect them forever."

"I can," said Homura quietly, fighting to remain stoic. "I won't let them suffer. I won't fail."

"Don't you see?" she said with a grin that was too wide for her face. "You already _have_… Serafino found them, and Geppetto even managed to feed on one... How much longer can you-"

The Beretta leapt in Homura's hand. A fine spray of orange blood and fragments of bone burst forth from the back of the duplicate's head, coating the boulder behind her in a slick of gore. She slumped over, and the lenses of her ruined glasses shattered as they hit the ground at an angle.

Homura turned away from the awful sight, covering her hand with her mouth and trying not to be sick. _I have to get out of here. Just need to get the Curse Seed and go…_

Taking one shaking step at a time, she approached the crater where the Demon's body lay buried, and began scanning it for signs of the tiny black cube. Nothing. Perhaps it was buried along _with_ the Demon. She looked down to check her Soul Gem... and the armored hand twitched.

The savage tip of the golden lance moved like lightning, exploding out of the pile of rubble. A white-hot clap of pain seared through Homura's body as it thrust itself into her stomach, running her through, painting her costume red with blood.

Slowly the Demon pulled itself up to a standing position, shedding rocks and soil as it lifted her off the ground on the end of its lance. It turned its head toward her… it had no helmet, no eyes, no facial features at all, just a smooth, rounded blank made of dull grey lead… but somehow, it was staring at her…

Homura moaned, and blood trickled from her mouth. It took a simple mental command to shut off her sensation of pain… a technique she normally loathed to use, but it was the only way she was going to survive this. As numbness spread itself over her, she struggled on the lance, trying to tear it free of the Demon's grip. Her actions left smears of red on its gleaming surface, but the serrated underside kept her from sliding off without doing more damage to herself. Panting, she looked the Demon right in its faceless blank. "Let… go."

"He won't listen to you," said a horribly familiar voice. "This is your end, Homura Akemi." The duplicate was back, walking toward them, still with the ghastly hole between her eyes. She looked up at Homura, her face distorting into a bloodied grin. "Now you'll pay for the sin of your selfishness."

"It will… take more than this… to kill me…" The bravado was partly to bolster her own confidence, and partly to buy time to think of something…

"Oh, I'm aware of that. Gaspare?"

The knight nodded its blank head. Sheets of molten gold began to spread outward from the surface of the lance, covering over her wound and slowly coating her torso. It trickled over her shoulders and down her legs, and Homura felt the awful sensation of her limbs stiffening, then freezing in place.

"It's a pity," the duplicate sighed as the knight set Homura down, knowing she was unable to run away. "If it weren't for that lance, you would make a lovely statue as a gift for the Ninth. But then, it's far too much of a risk to remove it now..."

Glaring hatefully at her, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of seeing her fear, Homura continued struggling as much as she was able. The molten gold enclosed her shoulders and crept up her neck. "The… Ninth…?"

The duplicate tapped her chin. "I suppose it wouldn't spoil the game too much if you knew. I am Desideria, the Second." She tilted forward in a bow. "This is Gaspare, the Fourth," she said, gesturing to the knight. "We are two of the Nine, born of the sins of humanity."

Panic raced through Homura's mind. _No. It's not possible. They're not just intelligent, they're _organized…_ they can think, plan, work together…_ Liquid gold crawled over her chin, her cheeks, her lips, advancing up her face. _How? How did they-_ Now it was in her eyes, she couldn't see…

The golden statue that used to be Homura now stood motionless, her face frozen in an expression of shock.

Desideria grinned, and Gaspare was silent, as always.

**END OF CHAPTER 10**


	11. Chapter 11: When to Let Go

**CHAPTER 11: When to Let Go**

**The Fourth's Lair**

Desideria pouted as she ran her hands over the curves of the Puella Magi's frozen body, avoiding the lance sticking through her midsection. The girl was still warm and soft underneath the golden shell, she knew, but she couldn't feel her wonderful warmth without breaking it… what a pity. Without that warmth, it would be meaningless to feed on her Heart. Gaspare, however, had no such standards.

"Gaspare?" she cooed to the night without looking back over her shoulder. "You may start now, if you want. She's all yours. I trust you can handle her yourself?"

The Fourth was silent, as always. It nodded its shapeless head in agreement and stepped forward. A few of the gold and silver veins peeled themselves from Gaspare's leaden body. Moving very slowly, like a time-lapsed film of tree roots growing, they spread outward, a dozen of them attaching to the golden shell. The veins began to throb steadily as the feast commenced.

Desideria took two steps backward and disappeared. There were other victims for her to prey on, ones that would provide the warmth she craved…

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya<strong>

_"It sucks. It totally sucks."_

"Uh-huh, it does."

"_I mean, the episodes are finished, and they've already made us wait since the end of March…"_

"Uh-huh."

_"…and now they say that the last two won't air until the end of July! What gives? The last one was already a cliffhanger… do they _enjoy_ torturing us?"_

"I dunno."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. _"… Kagamin, you're not even listening to me, are you?"_

"Huh? Of course I am," Kagami lied. She was lying on her bed while Konata talked at her, nestling the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she stared at her ceiling fan. Thankfully, she had been able to take the rest of her bath without incident, so she was now more-or-less relaxed. "Code Geass, right?"

_"You know, Kagamin,"_ said Konata, sounding unusually testy, _"normally I don't mind when you zone out while I'm talking about anime and stuff… but lately it's like you're not even _trying_ to pay attention."_

Kagami sighed and put a hand over her eyes. "I'm sorry, Konata, I really am. I've just had so much on my mind…"

_"I know, I know, but it wouldn't hurt to at least humor me, would it?"_

"I guess not."

_"Hmph."_

"Konata?" Kagami took a deep breath and swallowed.

_"Yeah?"_

"If I ask you something… will you promise not to laugh?"

She could sense the corners of Konata's mouth curling into that blasted cat smile, even from across town. _"Depends on what it is. I can't promise anything, but go ahead."_

Kagami grimaced, already doubting that this was a good idea. "No wisecracks, either! It's kind of embarrassing, and I know how you usually are!" She dropped her voice, starting to blush before the question even left her lips. "Okay, so… um… in your anime and stuff, when two people like each other… how does it go, usually?"

A period of silence followed, very long and very uncomfortable.

"Konata?"

_"Yeah, I'm listening,"_ she said finally.

"Well?"

To Konata's credit, there wasn't even a hint of laughter in her reply. _"It sort of depends on the story,"_ she said, picking her words very carefully. _"It's different in every genre. In romance anime, the couple is usually really shy at first, before they… get close at the very end, and there's a lot of conflict and drama and stuff in between. In a comedy, they'll start out by fighting all the time…"_

Kagami sat up in her bed, paying full attention to the conversation for the first time since Konata called her. "Yeah, yeah?"

_"And in most mecha shows, it's usually love at first sight, and the only trouble the couple has is when one of them gets kidnapped. I guess you'd-"_

Her words were interrupted by a click and the electronic beeps of a keypad being pressed. _"_[beep]_-gamin, _[beep] _there? _[beep] _What's_ [beep beep beep] _–llo?"_

"Hey! Do you mind?"

Tsukasa's voice came on suddenly. "_Oh no! Kona-chan,_ onee-chan,_ please excuse me!"_

"Tsukasa…" Kagami shook her head and groaned. She thought about chastising her through the wall, then thought the better of it. "Can't you use your cell? Who are you calling this late, anyway?"

_"Sorry, _onee-chan, _I thought you were done already!"_ Tsukasa stammered sheepishly. _"Sorry, sorry! You're right, I'll just call Yuki-chan on my cell… I'm sorry!"_ Click.

_"Well, that was weird,"_ said Konata. _"Even for _Tsukasa_, I mean."_

With a sigh, Kagami flopped back down into her mattress. "You're telling me. I love her, but sometimes she's such…"

_"… an airhead?"_ Konata suggested with just the hint of a chuckle.

"Yeah." She couldn't help but smile.

_"So, about what you were asking…"_

"Hmm? Oh, that. Never mind, it was stupid. Thanks anyway, though."

_"Anytime, Kagamin."_ Then the snark that had been missing for the last few minutes returned to her voice in full. _"If you're having romance problems, all you need to do is call Dr. Izumi's Love-Love Hotline! I'll be happy to help you with any bedroom techniques or tongue motions that you-"_

CLICK. Kagami jabbed the phone's disconnect button so hard she almost broke it, her whole face glowing the color of a ripe cherry.

* * *

><p><strong>Izumi Household<strong>

Konata stared at the phone in her hand as the dial tone buzzed monotonously from the speaker. _Maybe I overdid it a little._

Shaking her head, she placed the phone back in its cradle and turned back to her computer. Once again, she wished she knew what was really going on… Konata's suspicions about Tsukasa had been all but confirmed, as she had done an utterly atrocious job of hiding the signs, but Kagami was far harder to read.

_If you'd just talk to me, Kagamin, maybe I could help._ Mechanically she logged into Legend of Ultimaquest and began managing her equipment, her fingertip beating a rapid-fire staccato against her mouse button. _It doesn't matter if you _like_ Akemi, I just want you to tell me the truth…_

_Did_ it matter, though? She had wrestled quite a bit with that question for most of the past two weeks. So far, she was unable to come up with an answer. Kagami was precious to her, like a sister she had never had… She and Tsukasa and Miyuki were as good as family, even when they got on each other's nerves. And more than once, Konata had entertained the thought of being more than simply best friends with Kagami… an idea that had never fully taken root, but one that nagged at her from time to time nonetheless. _Maybe when we're older_, she would often think when it sprung up, or _Maybe just once, for fun,_ or _She'll never go for it, but what the hell, ask anyway._ Romance was surprisingly hard to come by for the four of them, so she never really considered the possibility of anyone forming a relationship with someone outside the group.

Now, however, there was a frighteningly real possibility that that very thing was happening. Kagami had a crush, whether she could see it herself or not… and that thought was more terrifying to Konata than she would ever dare admit. That and other worries gnawed at her persistently, even as she immersed herself into the game.

_What if they get serious, and she really _does_ stop hanging out with us?_

_ What if she stops talking to me?_

_ What if it goes bad between them, and Kagami changes because of it?_

Konata frowned and tried to clear her rebellious brain of everything but stat checks and battle plans. There was no sense in worrying about things that hadn't happened yet, dammit.

For the remainder of the night, Konata had far more difficulty with Ultimaquest's gameplay than usual.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Kagami tossed the phone aside and fell on her stomach back to the bed, hugging her pillow tight against her burning cheeks. _Damn it, Konata! All I did was ask a simple question, there was no reason to say perverted things like that!_

Through the wall, she heard Tsukasa start to talk. The conversation was faint and indistinct, but unmistakably happy.

_Am I going crazy?_ she thought. _Or is this how everyone feels?_ Her legs kicked the air in frustration as she groaned aloud into the pillow. Already she was having second thoughts about hanging up… now there wasn't even Konata's rambling to distract her from thinking about it.

_Is there a problem?_ And here, appearing as if summoned, was a distraction, but an unwelcome one. Kyubey appeared on her dresser and tilted his head. His tone was slightly cautious, as if he was afraid she would throw something at him again.

"Oh, it's _you_," she grumbled without looking at him. The thought of throwing something _was_ tempting, but it didn't seem to be worth the effort. "I'm surprised you're even showing your creepy little face around me, after what you did…"

_What did I do?_

Kagami shot him a glare that would have burnt a hole in concrete. "What do you _mean_, what did you do?" she shrieked. "You were watching me in the bath, you perverted freak!"

_You should keep your voice down,_ said Kyubey with infuriating calm. _The rest of your family could hear you talking to me, and that would raise awkward questions, wouldn't it? Try speaking to me mentally._

Taking his advice was the last thing she wanted to do, but the little freak had a point, damn it all. She supposed she would have to practice this sooner or later, anyway, so… _All right,_ she thought at him, wrinkling her brow in concentration. _Can you hear me?_

_Yes._

Now that she wasn't speaking aloud, more of Tsukasa's conversation with Miyuki filtered in from the next room. She heard what was clearly a giggle… then she chastised herself for eavesdropping and focused back on the little whatever-it-was that was staring at her expectantly.

_ Good! Now explain yourself! What the hell were you doing watching me?_

_ I'm always watching you. It's my job while Homura's not around._

_ Not like _that! _I mean, why were you watching me while I was…_ The mere thought of _that_ made her start to blush. No way in hell would she even think that word, not to him. _… while I was naked?_ she finished, deciding that that was enough to be outraged about.

_I detected chaotic thought patterns, an elevated heart rate, increased perspiration and hormonal production, and other biological signs associated with human emotional distress. I thought you might be under attack._

Kagami blinked. _Seriously? That's what you thought was happening?_

_Of course. Why do you ask?_

_ You mean…_ She clutched at her sheets. _You're telling me that you have no idea what- Look, don't you know about… about emotions? Feelings?_

_No_, he said matter-of-factly. _I know _of_ them, but the workings of human feelings are a mystery to me. Why? Did your heightened physical state have something to do with your emotions?_

Well, wasn't _that_ a small relief... the freak was a little furry Vulcan. _I don't want to talk about it,_ she thought. _Just promise me that you won't say _anything_ about what you saw to Homura, all right?_

_You want me to hide the truth?_ Kyubey tilted his head further to the side.

_YES. God, yes. Can you do that?_

_ Of course I can. I'm well practiced at it._

Kagami thought she heard the tiniest hint of amusement in his voice, but she decided it was only her imagination. _Good! You'd better,_ she thought at him. Grabbing a light novel from her bedside table, she began paging through it, trying to find where she had left off.

After a moment or so, a much louder giggle drifted through from the next room. Kagami frowned and lightly rapped her knuckles against the wall. "Tsukasa, could you keep it down a little? I'm trying to read."

"S-Sorry, _onee-chan_," said the muffled voice from next door.

Kagami rolled her eyes and went back to the novel. _What on earth are she and Miyuki talking about so much lately, anyway?_

* * *

><p><strong>The Fourth's Lair<br>**

For the first time in its existence, the Fourth paused in the middle of its feeding. For just a moment, it had felt the statue twitch… but that was impossible. The statue was not alive, it was just another object to feed on, to drain dry of its precious Heart and absorb into its armor when it was finished. The Fourth's intellect was limited, but it knew within itself that it was the only being that truly lived. Everything else, its victims, its Spawn, even the others of the Nine, were merely objects. Objects existed to be collected, fed on, and absorbed, or to be discarded and thrown away. The Fourth therefore determined that the statue had not moved at all, and began sating its hunger once again.

A fraction of a second later, the statue exploded from within. The Fourth's impossibly heavy, lumbering body was actually pushed back a meter by the force of the blast, as its front side was riddled with a million tiny shards of pure gold. It examined the shards, fascinated, then it slowly lifted its gaze to where the statue had been… and it took several paces backward.

It hung in midair, a great dark egg that seemed to be composed of pieces of the night sky. Stars and nebulae swirled within it, and it radiated a strange, terrible power… The egg slowly split apart like a blossoming flower, its shell parting to take the shape of two jagged, asymmetrical wings. The small being connected to those wings coughed and greedily sucked in breath as she emerged and fell to the ground, like a great dark butterfly hatching from a chrysalis… Her wings trembled and spread to full width as she shakily rose to her feet. The Fourth's lance still impaled her through her midsection; she grimaced, took the hilt with both hands, and began to pull. It made a sickening wet tearing sound as it slid out of her body... the pointed tip sank into the hole in her back, then re-emerged from her stomach a moment later, its golden surface stained red. With it finally removed, she sank to her knees.

Her magic went to work immediately. The ten-centimeter hole slowly began to close. Flesh crawled back into place, torn muscles, nerves, and tendons reattached, bones knit together, and when the process was complete she rose, severely bloodied but alive, supporting herself with the lance, and fixed the Fourth with a stare that burned ice-cold as midwinter.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She coughed and tried again: "Take…" she said slowly, "… this… back."

The Fourth barely raised its shield arm in time. Homura hurled the lance like a javelin; it tore through the boulders of its Lair as if they were made of tissue paper, flying straight and true as a bullet. The pointed tip crashed against the Fourth's silver shield and kept on going, spearing it through its armored body. Orange blood began to ooze from solid lead as the Fourth stumbled, losing its footing and falling to one knee. It was feeling things it had never felt before, that it had no comprehension of: pain, and a terrible creeping cold. The lance was spreading its molten gold over the Fourth's body. It was becoming an object… The Fourth was an object, just like everything else…

Homura's wings beat the air, lifting her off the ground. Her ebony bow appeared in one hand, an arrow of blazing violet fire in the other. Notching the arrow in place, she allowed herself the faintest hint of a smile as she thought to herself: _This is for you, Mami-san._ At the point of the arrowhead, a spell circle sprung into life, carving itself into existence as if someone were writing on the air. Homura's wings streamed out straight behind her as she gathered her power into the arrow, drawing it back… the arrow doubled, then tripled in size, until it was twelve feet long and the width of a tree trunk.

_"Requiem Violetta,"_ she whispered.

The arrow left a thunderclap in its wake as she let it fly. It streaked from the heavens like a comet, finding its target with deadly accuracy. It sheared the lance in half and plunged straight through the Fourth's petrified body in a shower of orange blood before it exploded with a resounding roar.

Slowly Homura floated back to the ground, to the lip of the crater her arrow's detonation had made. Even through the smoke, she could tell that the mangled form inside was dead for good this time. She sighed, and blessed relief washed over her…

Then her wings flickered out like candles as she collapsed into the crater, tumbling down its slope and coming to rest in a motionless heap beside a fragment of the Demon's shield.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Tsukasa fell back into her pillows with a contented sigh, her face flushed and shining with perspiration. "Yuki-chan," she whispered into the phone, "that was… _amazing…_ thank you…"

_"There's no need to thank me, Tsukasa-san_," said Miyuki's voice on the other end. _"I enjoyed myself as-"_ Then, suddenly, the line went silent.

Tsukasa blinked and tapped the speaker. "Yuki-chan? Hello?"

_"I'm still here,"_ said Miyuki, sounding strained, _"but I'm afraid I will have to go now. There is something I must take care of… I'll see you in school tomorrow, Tsukasa-san."_

"Aww." Tsukasa stuck her lower lip out. "Okay, then. See you tomorrow…" Then, almost as an afterthought: "I love you, Yuki-chan." She held a hand over her mouth and giggled at her own boldness.

_"I love you too, Tsukasa-san,_" said Miyuki warmly. Then the line went dead.

Feeling mildly disappointed, Tsukasa flipped her cell phone shut and looked over at her bedside clock. To her amazement, it was already almost midnight… time with Miyuki always seemed to go too fast, but it still astonished her that they had talked and done other things for over two hours… That thought was punctuated with a gaping yawn. Too tired even to change into her pajamas, she laid back into her mattress, shut the lights off with her remote, and quickly fell into a sleep full of pleasant dreams she would never share with her twin sister.

* * *

><p><strong>Kasukabe<strong>

Homura's eyelids fluttered open. She was lying in the middle of the street, her transformation undone. Her body was stiff and unresponsive… trying to move too much sent black acid coursing through her veins. Biting back a pained moan, she managed to turn herself over, to look at the silver ring on her left hand…

Her heart skipped a beat. The amethyst set into the top of the ring was almost completely black. _Oh no. Where is it? Where's the Seed?_ Her eyes scanned the street frantically. It couldn't be far, she had been standing right at the mouth of the crater when she-

There it was, lying just a meter away. Her legs wouldn't move; painfully she dragged herself forward along the asphalt with her hands, tearing her school uniform and scraping her newly-healed stomach on the rough surface. Less than half a meter now. _Come on. I have to reach it. I can't leave yet, I can't…_ Another stream of acid burned her body from the inside as she reached out for it, her fingertips almost touching the cloudy surface of the translucent black cube…

Then a foot dropped down upon her wrist, crushing it against the street. The foot wore a shoe that she recognized, an Oxford that belonged to a particular middle-school uniform…

"I must admit, I'm surprised," said Desideria, still wearing the face and form of the Homura of the past. "You're far more skilled than I imagined, Homura-chan."

Homura glared up at the Second hatefully, gritting her teeth against another spasm of pain as she tried to pull her arm free. The Curse Seed was so close… "Don't… call me… that…"

The Second ignored her. "What's wrong, Homura-chan? You just won a fight. Once again, you survived against impossible odds. You're alive, and you're not even hurt… so why are you making that face?"

The Puella Magi stayed silent, refusing to give her tormentor the satisfaction.

"Oh, that's right," said Desideria with a sickening air of mock revelation. "You're _not_ alive. You're just a corpse, animated by that gem you wear. You threw away your life, _my_ life, all because you didn't know when to let go… and the only way you can sustain your miserable existence is by using Curse Seeds to replenish your magic."

Homura's fingers strained, stretching as far as they could go. She began to feel a wavering on the edges of her consciousness. _I have to hold on. I have to…_

"You sold your soul out of love," whispered Desideria, kneeling down to her ear. "Love is the reason you still exist. The problem is, Homura-chan, that your love destroyed your world, over and over again, until even magic couldn't fix it… Your love stopped you from doing the one thing that would have _saved_ your world… and your love led to our birth, so that we could punish you and all other humans for your sins. Your kind always talks about how powerful and wondrous love is, but it looks to me like yours is poisonous, cursed to bring misfortune to others. Or..." Her eyes sparkled with malevolence behind the red-rimmed glasses. "Maybe it's _not_ love that drives you at all. Maybe that's why you're so very interesting to me. Maybe it's not love that keeps you going, but lust..."

A wounded cry tore itself from Homura's lips as she made a sudden, violent motion, toppling the Second over. She wasted no time, snatching up the Curse Seed and touching it to her Soul Gem while Desideria howled with merriment… The corruption lifted, taking her pain away as the black clouds cleared from the amethyst and were absorbed into the Curse Seed.

In a violet flash, Homura was transformed again, straddling the Second and pressing the barrel of a Desert Eagle into Desideria's forehead, tears running down her cheeks. "Shut up…"

The Second giggled. "It's really funny, Homura-chan. You fractured time, lost your soul, and put your world in danger because you loved _her_ too much to let her go… and then after you finally saved her, you betrayed her! You fell in love with someone else!" Her giggling escalated into crazed laughter. "I wonder how she feels, knowing that her best friend stabbed her in the back? And if that wasn't enough, then you put the existence she gave so much to protect in jeopardy again, by making the _exact same mistake! _I think she'd be pretty angry with you, don't you, Homura-chan?"

The gun fired once, twice, thrice, again and again and again. Homura's scream of agony went unheard over its blasts.

A new Lair was forming, an intricate latticework of mirrors connected by golden chains. They were sitting on one, its glass stained with Demon blood, but unmarred by bullet holes. Mirrors surrounded them in an enormous dome reaching far over their heads, and in each one's surface was an image of Homura, laughing at the one that sat on the largest mirror, on the verge of breaking down.

"You know that's not enough," said Desideria. Her mouth was still moving amid the horrific slurry of meat, blood, and bone that was her skull. "You nearly died just now, Homura-chan. Are you really going to risk it again, just to kill me? Do you hate me that much? Do you hate me... as much as you hate yourself?"

Homura's shoulders sagged, just an instant before she blinked out of existence. In the space between one second and the next, she had fled the Lair.

Desideria's laughter joined with that of the mirror image Homuras as her skull began to reform itself.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Kyubey's long ears perked up.

Looking over the top of her novel, Kagami raised an eyebrow. _Something wrong?_

_It's Homura. She's on her way here, I can sense it._

The novel was swiftly tossed aside onto the floor. _Now? _thought Kagami in a panic. _It's past midnight!_

_I know,_ said Kyubey. _Something must have happened._

Kagami raced to her window and threw it open, scanning the street outside. There was no sign of anyone moving, no sound other than the hum of power lines and the singing of cicadas. "Where are you…?" she said aloud, more to herself than anyone else.

The last thing she expected was an answer to that question. _Hiiragi-san, I'm close by,_ said Homura's voice in her mind. Her tone was halting, as if it was an effort just to talk._ I need to… to stay with you…_

Kagami's eyes widened. _Why? What happened? Is something wrong?_

_There's no time to explain. I just need to… do something first._

Abruptly, the humming and droning simply stopped, and everything fell silent. _What did you just do?_ thought Kagami over an outbreak of goosebumps. This was eerie…

_I cast a spell on your room. No one will be able to hear us._

_ Th… that's nice of you, the rest of my family's asleep…_

_ That's not the reason I did it. Hiiragi-san, brace yourself._

_ Brace myself for what?_

There was no answer. She was about to ask the question again when Homura blinked into being in the center of the room and dropped her transformation, sinking to the floor…

Kagami screamed. Homura's black hair was tangled and matted, her entire back coated in dried blood… and Kagami could see the extent of it because the only thing the black-haired girl was wearing above her waist was a bra that had once been clean and white, but was now tattered and stained an ugly reddish-brown. A sharp copper scent assaulted Kagami's senses the moment Homura appeared, but now she could also smell the metallic tang of cordite, and the slick, oily sensation of smoke and ash… Her face was even paler than usual, and her eyes were rimmed with red from tears, hollow and gaunt.

"_Homura!_ Oh my God, Homura, don't move!" Kagami ran to her side, at a total loss for what to do first. "I-I'll call an ambulance, or get a first-aid kit, or-"

"I'll be all right… don't bother…" said Homura softly as she tried to get to her feet without success. "It looks worse… than it is…"

_What happened to you, Homura?_ said Kyubey from the dresser, appallingly unconcerned as usual.

"What the hell do you _think_ happened, idiot?" Kagami snapped at him as she attempted to keep Homura down. "Something tried to kill her! Homura, please don't move…"

"My magic has healed my wounds," she said, trying to push Kagami's hands away. "I'm fine, I just need a place to stay tonight… I'm too tired to make it back… to the apartment… Please, forgive my intrusion into your home…" She turned her face away, avoiding Kagami's aghast expression.

"Homura, you look like you've been through a goddamn war zone, you are _not_ fine!" shouted Kagami, forgetting about the presence of the muffling spell, but no longer caring whether she woke anyone up. "What the hell happened? What did this to you?"

"Demons," said Homura with a shudder. "I will tell you everything... in the morning. For now… I need to sleep… so tired…"

"Th-there's a futon in the closet," stammered Kagami, "Let me get it for you… or you can sleep in my bed, whatever…"

"The futon… will be fine." She still wouldn't look Kagami in the eye.

It only took a moment of digging to find the futon and a few blankets. When it was unrolled and furnished, Homura simply crashed down onto it and laid there, motionless.

Her whole body trembling, Kagami watched the other girl's chest rise and fall until her breathing slowed into sleep. It took a very short time. "Is… is she really gonna be all right?" she whispered.

_I think she will be,_ said Kyubey. _The battle must have taken a lot out of her. Anyway, now that she's here with you, I can keep an eye on your sister. I'll be here if you need me._ With that, he turned around and phased through the wall like a ghost, leaving them alone.

Kagami paid him no attention. She continued staring at the girl on her floor, the girl she had only known for two weeks, but who was appearing in her dreams, her fantasies… Never before had she looked so weak, so fragile. The haunted look on her face, and the way she had avoided making any eye contact with her… whatever Demon she had just fought had done far more than just injure her.

_And she went through that just to protect me?_

Kagami swallowed. There was only one thing she could do. It was crazy, maddeningly inappropriate, and almost assuredly a very, very bad idea… but she had to do it anyway. Moving carefully, she bent down over Homura's face, felt her breath warm her cheeks, and leaned close, bringing their lips together. _My first kiss… Please take it, Homura. Whatever it was, you went through it for me… This is the only way I can thank you. Please, sleep well…_

The stars above held their breath for a second, for an eternity, as moonlight from the open window streamed down upon them both.

Gently Kagami pulled away, brushing her hair back into place. She crawled back into bed and turned out the lights, then closed her eyes and turned over, away from the other girl. Whether from exhaustion or not, she slept so soundly that night that she couldn't hear the intermittent sounds of Homura crying in her sleep.

**END OF CHAPTER 11**


	12. Chapter 12: I'm Fine

_*Author's Note: If you like our work on this story, please be sure to read and review Forzare's original work, _NIL_, found on FictionPress. He and I both appreciate your feedback. Thanks. - BHS*  
><em>

**CHAPTER 12: I'm Fine**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

Tsukasa dreamed…

She was entangled in a snarl of bed sheets with Miyuki, both of them naked as the morning, the air heavy with the scent of summer sweat. She was hot, wet, and sticky and she didn't care, because Miyuki was smiling down at her, those gorgeous purple eyes unhidden by the lenses of her glasses. Tenderly Miyuki reached down and caressed her cheek with her hand, and shiver went up and down Tsukasa's spine like electricity. It was like breathing pure bliss when they were together. She didn't know how on earth she had ever lived without Miyuki's touch, her gentle words, her support. The things Miyuki had shown her, the ways they had connected; it was as if she had been colorblind, and Miyuki gave her a glimpse of a rainbow.

Had it only been two weeks since that afternoon in the classroom, two weeks since they had kissed for the first time? The life before that felt like it belonged to someone else… a strange, confused time before she had ever known what it was like to love a person so much. Initially, their motions had been clumsy and fumbling as they experimented, but not anymore. Now they knew each other in such a deep and personal way that any touch, however small, was a precious gift.

When Tsukasa awoke, her pajamas were stuck to her skin with sweat, and her sheets were a mess… it would take at least one load of laundry just to work the wrinkles out. She yawned and rubbed her eyes on her sleeve, fighting the urge to go back to bed and return to Miyuki in her dream. But no, she couldn't do that, there was school today. Besides, the real Miyuki would be there, along with the tantalizing possibility of more secret time alone together.

Their secret… at first Tsukasa had been horrified at the idea of keeping their relationship from anyone else. At the time, it went against every instinct she had; she had wanted to shout from the rooftops about how wonderful it all was. For whatever reason, though, Miyuki had told her to stay quiet about it. It was difficult for her, no question. There were times when she felt that if she didn't at least tell Kagami, she would burst like a soap bubble. After thinking it over, though, she had to admit that Miyuki had a point: this was the first serious relationship for either of them, and it wouldn't do to let anyone know exactly how far they had gone, in case they should draw the wrong conclusions. Besides, in a small, rebellious way, Tsukasa _enjoyed_ her secret. Having something so exciting that no one else knew about… for once, she felt as if she wasn't constantly falling behind the rest of her friends, that she had found out something _first_, before anyone else...

Onee-chan, she thought to herself with a smile as she began pulling off the sheets. _I really, really hope that you and Akemi-san can someday feel like this… Whatever it is that's happening between you, it would be so much better if you could just _be_ together, like me and Yuki-chan are…_

In the corner of her eye, something flickered. "Eh?" She blinked and looked up at the windowsill, where for just a moment she thought she had seen something move… but there was nothing there. She shrugged and went back to tugging at her sheets. _Must have been a squirrel or a bird._

* * *

><p>Homura dreamed…<p>

The world was a hell of a million mirrors, each bearing a face that was not her own. Tsukasa Hiiragi glared down at her from a floating pane of glass, as did Sayaka Miki, Mami Tomoe, Kyoko Sakura, Oriko Mikuni, Kazumi, and everyone she had ever failed… with only two exceptions. The mirrors revolved all around her in the endless starry void of space. Everything was silent.

_Please, don't look at me that way,_ she tried to say to the mirrors, but her voice was claimed by the void. _Don't look at me… _Homura tried to turn away from their accusing gazes, but her body wouldn't move. She couldn't even shut her eyes.

_I'm sorry, _she mouthed to them. _I'm so sorry. I can't save any of you anymore… I have to save her now._

The mirrors continued their orbit around her in silence.

Now two more panes of glass were coming forward… the faces of the only two people she had ever loved, the people she had to save. Alone among the rest, their expressions were different… the first was _her_, looking just as she had the last time Homura had floated in space like this. Her hair was hanging loose; her body was filled with stars.

Homura felt her eyes begin to sting. _Is this it? _she said to the face she knew so well. _Have you come for me?_

Her expression changed, her angelic smile slid from her face. Now she gazed at Homura with infinite sorrow, with betrayal that went beyond words.

_No_, she cried out in the silence, trying to reach out to her, to no avail. Her body still wouldn't move. _No! Don't leave me again!_

It was too late; her mirror was already dissolving into the dark. Now only the second mirror remained, bearing Kagami's face. Not the Kagami she knew now, the Kagami from before… Her eyes were hollow, ringed with shadow, her face gaunt and very pale. Her expression was simply dead… there was no feeling there, no joy, no anger, nothing left but apathy and cold…

Homura couldn't bear to look anymore. Gathering all her strength, she willed her eyes to close. Then she began to fall, plummeting down, nothingness blowing back her hair and flaying at her skin. Somehow, she knew that there would be no end to this, no sudden sickening crunch as her body hit solid ground. She would fall forever, unable to see, unable to scream or make any sound at all.

Her black hair spilled over her shoulders as she jolted awake, greedily sucking in a long breath. Cold beads of sweat stood out on her skin; she held herself tight and rubbed her arms for warmth.

_Homura? Are you all right?_ said a familiar voice at her side. _What's wrong?_

_Nothing, Kyubey,_ she thought back at him. Then, on an impulse, she decided to be truthful, and added, _Nightmares._

Kyubey tilted his head. _I didn't think you still had those._

_I didn't think I did either. It's been a long time._

_Homura, tell me,_ said Kyubey, boring into her with his stare. _Did a Demon feed on you last night?_

She knew there was no point in lying to him. _Yes_, she thought with a shudder. _I was… incapacitated, and it was draining me for several minutes. I escaped using my wings._

_But you clearly still have your Heart_, Kyubey said. _How can that be?_

_I don't know,_ she admitted. That question had briefly nagged at her during the long trip to the Hiiragi's house, but she had been too tired to think about it then. Now, however… She extracted herself from the blankets, stretched, and glanced out of Kagami's window. The sky outside was still a mix of pink and purple, with a fat orange disc peeking over the horizon... it was just after dawn.

_I'm going to take a shower while the rest of the family is asleep,_ she said to Kyubey. Looking over at the sleeping form in the bed, she added. _After that…_

* * *

><p>Kagami dreamed…<p>

She was in the middle of a dream where she was using ropes and spikes to climb up a stick of chocolate pocky the size of a mountain, when everything changed. Now the ground had evened out and turned to rock, and she was lost in a fog so thick that she could barely see her hand in front of her face. "H-Hello?" she called out hesitantly. The fog seemed to have more light and color than was normal, and it muffled her voice quickly.

She wandered aimlessly, trying to escape the cloud. Whispers curled all around her, teasing her with words that didn't quite make sense, but were strangely familiar. A soft light began to shine far off in the distance. She ran for it, blindly reaching out for that light, hoping it wasn't a trick…

When she finally broke from the fog, she found herself at the edge of a cliff, looking over a huge, wide cleft in the earth, like pictures she had seen of the Grand Canyon in America… except there was no color to the looming cliff faces, no mingling hues of painted orange, red and brown, only uniform grey. The fog was here too, so deep that she couldn't see the bottom. There was no sign of the light.

"Hello…?" she said again. Her voice echoed off the walls of the canyon, lonely and scared, and she shivered.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the light again, warm and inviting. She turned and looked for it… and found that she was no longer alone.

Her first thought was that the woman was an angel. She had wings, though they were made of hazy and transparent pink energy instead of feathers. The woman wore a long, flowing white dress, and underneath its hem, she caught the barest glimpse of what looked like the night sky. In her hands, she held a shining golden bow, which at first Kagami thought was the source of the light… then she realized she was wrong. The light wasn't coming from the bow, it was coming from _her_, her skin, her long cascade of pink hair, her golden eyes, her wings, every part of her was glowing. She gazed patiently out over the canyon, as if she was waiting for something.

"Who are you?" asked Kagami, awestruck. "Where is this place?"

The winged woman didn't answer. She turned to look at Kagami… and for a moment Kagami could do nothing but stare back at her. She was achingly beautiful, graceful in her silence, with a smile as warm and reassuring as a mother's embrace… but there was just the smallest hint of sadness there, a strange melancholy, like she had lost something precious, but was certain it would someday come back to her, if only she waited long enough…

Kagami swallowed, feeling uncomfortably plain in the presence of such a figure. "I'm sorry," she muttered, averting her eyes as she bowed to the woman. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I think I'm lost…"

The woman smiled, as if to tell her that was all right.

"So," said Kagami, mustering her courage, "have you been waiting long, or-"

Below them, the fog began to clear, shrinking away to reveal that the strange gray canyon was filled with people, hundreds of people. Thousands, maybe _millions_ of people. Kagami's mouth stopped working in mid-question. She saw faces that she recognized, faces that she had only seen in passing on Konata's walls, and many more that she didn't know at all, wearing costumes that ranged from dresses to robes to leotards to armor, in every color of the spectrum. There were princesses and witches, warriors and spell casters, powers of light and shadow and every element in between… There were what appeared to be waitresses with animal features, Revolutionary Girls in elaborate dueling clothes, a trio of Magic Knights standing alongside a Cardcaptor clutching her Star Key, Wedding Angels in modified bridal gowns, and Pretty Cures in brilliant rainbow frills and ruffles. TSAB agents bristled with magitech devices, flanked by the Volkenritter, their faithful guardians; and near them, over a hundred Devil Hunters in red _qipao_ emblazoned with yin-yang symbols. Countless Sailor Senshi from every planet in the galaxy were there, rallied behind a very familiar figure with long blonde pigtails. The Puellae Magi were down there too, she knew, though she could only name of one of them, the one who stood out to her even among the endless sea of faces, looking up at the woman on the cliff with cold violet eyes filled with longing…

From every time, from every place, from every universe, they had all come to gather at this spot. All of them were waiting on the command of the winged woman who carried the shining golden bow, who was herself waiting for something… Again, she turned and looked at Kagami, patient, expectant.

"I…" Kagami's voice was very small. "I don't know what you want…"

The woman smiled at her briefly, then lifted the bow to the sky. An arrow of pink flame appeared notched to it… she drew it back and fired, and as it flew, it burned away the fog with its brilliance. Behind the fog, the sky was…

Kagami wanted to scream, but no sound came out. The sky was all wrong, no stars, no moon, just an endless expanse of perfect black. Darkness. On the horizon, far away beyond the canyon, something lurched… something darker than the pitch-black sky, something made of rage and hate and agony, something that saw the winged woman's light and couldn't stand it.

The vast army in the canyon turned around and charged for the thing on the horizon, weapons drawn. A million streaks of colored light fell against the dark thing like drops in a rainstorm, but it wasn't enough… it swept through their ranks, scattering bodies to the winds. They kept fighting, defying the dark being's wrath... So many of them were bleeding, dying in the dark, but still they fought…

Up on the cliff's edge, Kagami watched the battle in horror. "Somebody has to stop this!" she pleaded to the winged woman. "Please, you've got to help!"

The woman shook her head sadly. She couldn't fight alongside them.

"I… don't know what to do," she whispered. A thousand more died by the dark thing's touch, and she all she could do was tremble. "She told me I have all this power, but I don't know what to do…!"

"Hiiragi-san?"

The voice pulled her from her dream. Kagami sat up quickly, trying to hold on to what she had seen… but it slipped away like sand between her fingertips. All she could remember was a strange, vague feeling of loss and helplessness…

"Hiiragi-san?" said Homura again. Her hand hovered about an inch over Kagami's shoulder.

"I'm up, I'm up," said Kagami, stretching and yawning. Then she remembered, and her tiredness was pushed away by concern. "Are you all right? Do you need something to eat?"

"I'll be fine," said Homura. "I need to talk to you."

"I-If you're sure." Kagami shook herself and turned to face her. "What's up?"

Now that she was fully awake, Kagami saw that the Puella Magi looked much improved from last night. Her hair was sleek and shiny, her face clean and scrubbed. She was wearing an old t-shirt that Kagami recognized from the bottom of one of her dresser drawers… it hung loosely off one pale shoulder. "Hiiragi-san..." she began.

Kagami shivered and pulled her blankets up to her waist. Homura's face was so cold and impassive… She had grown so used to Homura being more, well, _open_ around her that to see her shut herself off again was unnerving. "What is it? Is… is something wrong?"

Homura closed her eyes for several seconds, then opened them again. "We can't be friends."

"Huh?" Kagami wasn't sure she had heard correctly.

"We can't be friends," she repeated. "I came to this world to protect you and your sister from the Demons Vittoria unleashed. I tried my best to shield you from them, to stay away so you wouldn't be hurt, but that didn't work… and for these past two weeks, I've fooled myself into thinking that perhaps things could be different, perhaps I didn't have to be so careful. But…

"I was wrong. These Demons are not like anything I've faced before. They're not mindless and destructive, they can _plan…_ Last night I nearly died from underestimating them. For the sake of my mission, for _everything_, I can't afford to make that mistake again. I can't let anything distract me. I'm here for one purpose only: to kill the Demons that try to hurt you and your sister. There can't be anything more to my life than that."

Kagami's fingers had been curling into her bedspread for some time now without her realizing it. "I…" she swallowed. "I don't get it. If we're so important, and we're in so much danger… why can't we do something about it? Why can't we help you fight?"

"That's out of the question," snapped Homura. "You don't have the power to-"

"Bullshit!" shouted Kagami suddenly, surprised at the volume of her voice. "I killed one of those things, and you know it! You told me on the roof that day that we have powers, that we're _special…_ If I can kill a Demon without even intending to, we should sure as hell be able to give you some kind of help or something!"

"Your powers are raw, uncontrolled," said Homura. "We still don't know their exact nature, other than that they derive from your being the focal points. For all we know, using them could kill you."

"And if we just sit back and do _nothing_, the Demons kill us!" Kagami's cheeks were burning. "Homura, this isn't fair! You can't just…" She stopped, letting her anger and frustration boil to the surface before she continued. "You can't just show up and turn my life upside-down, give me all these feelings and then drop out of it just like that!"

"Your feelings are not my problem," said Homura, as blunt as a brick wall. "I should be your protector, and nothing more than that."

"But you're _not,_" said Kagami softly, feeling tears start to well in her eyes. "Don't you see? Don't you feel _anything?_"

Homura stood and walked to her bedroom window, brushing her hair back. "Kyubey will continue to watch over you," she said without looking at her. "He'll let me know if there's any more trouble."

"Damn it, _don't walk away from me!_" Kagami was screaming now; she didn't know if Homura's muffling spell was still active, and she didn't care… "Maybe you can just flip some magic switch and shut off everything that you feel, but I can't! Let me help, let me fight, let me do _something!_"

When she spoke again, Homura's voice was deathly quiet. "There's nothing you can do for me," she said. "It's already too late. Forget me, Hiiragi-san. Live a normal life… go to school, take tests, go out with your friends. Treasure those moments… that's your world. It's a world I don't belong in… I never did, and never will."

"Homura, don't-"

Then she was gone, just like that. Morning sounds filled Kagami's bedroom through the open window: car engines rumbling to life, crows cawing to each other, doors on the street opening… the magic of the muffling spell had left with her.

Kagami was… numb. She was shaking, and her face was red with anger, but she couldn't feel either. Her skin felt like it belonged to someone else, like she was in the body of a stranger. She closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath… she could still faintly smell her presence, a scent like lilacs.

"_Onee-chan?_" There was a knock at her door. It opened, and Tsukasa peeked through the crack. "Sorry to get you up so early, but I'm making breakfast. Were you asleep?"

"No, Tsukasa." She opened her eyes and smiled at her sister. "I'm fine. Breakfast sounds great, just give me a minute."

* * *

><p><strong>Ryouou High<strong>

"… but after all that, I still don't want to go to the dentist…"

"Yeah, I hear you, Miyuki-chan. So hey, Tsukasa, your birthday's coming up, right?"

"Mmm-hmm. Seventeen."

"Oh-ho-ho! I think I know just what to get you…"

Kagami turned around and smiled as she heard her friends' voices come near. The cafeteria was bustling with activity. A lot of students hadn't brought boxed lunches today… more than usual were milling around with steaming plastic trays.

"Oh, you don't have to get us anything, Kona-chan, really! It's not a big deal."

"'Not a big deal'? It's a momentous occasion! I need to find something _extra_ special! Maybe I'll stop by Animate on my way home from work…"

"Isn't the shopkeeper of Animate a little… strange?"

"Is he? I never really noticed him. Oi, Kagamin!" Konata waved hello and pulled up a chair. "Anything new?"

"Not really," she said cheerfully. Then she frowned. "I heard you talking to Tsukasa about our birthday… you'd better not get us anything strange, got it?" She jabbed a chopstick at her friend for emphasis. "Make it something _normal_ for once."

Konata's lips curled up into her trademark cat-smile. "Don't worry, Kagamin. I have something in mind that I know you're gonna love…"

"That's what I'm afraid of," mumbled Kagami as she unwrapped her bento. Today's lunch was crab rolls, tempura shrimp, pickled plums, and a sugared omlette… as usual, Tsukasa had done an impeccable job of wrapping and arranging them neatly inside the compartments, almost like a work of art.

"Whoa, Kagamin! Are you really gonna eat all that?"

"No, I was planning on staring at it for a while, then leaving it out for the birds." Kagami rolled her eyes.

"So, I guess you're off the diet, huh?"

"Ha ha." Kagami poked one of the crab rolls with the point of her chopstick. It made a dent in the dark seaweed, and a bit of sauce oozed out from between the rice. A drop fell into the dent, mixing with the sauce. Then another drop, then another…

"Kagamin? Kagamin, what's wrong? Come on, you know I didn't mean it! Kagamin…?"

Kagami slumped over the table, bawling her eyes out, heedless of the stares she was attracting from all over the cafeteria. Her shoulders heaved and sobs wracked her body as Tsukasa's chair fell to the floor with a clatter, as Konata almost leaped clear over the table in a rush to come to her side… The tears just wouldn't stop.

"_Onee-chan!_ Please, _onee-chan_, tell me what's wrong! What's the matter?" Tsukasa was starting to cry herself.

Kagami couldn't answer. She had thought she was fine… the morning routine and the trip to school were the same as ever. When she got to homeroom, she said hello to Ayano and Misao, and took only brief notice of the empty seat two desks behind her. Everything up until now was so normal it was boring… so why couldn't she stop crying? Why was she making a spectacle of herself in the middle of the lunch room?

"Oh dear," she heard Miyuki say from across the table, miles away. "Should I go fetch a teacher, or Nurse Amahara?"

Konata and Tsukasa weren't listening. "Kagamin, c'mon, it's okay…" said Konata, patting her friend's back. "Whatever it is, it's okay. We're here for you, you know?"

Kagami inhaled sharply, took the handkerchief that Tsukasa was offering, and started dabbing at her eyes. "I…" She sniffed and tried again, her voice thick. "I'll be fine, I'm just being silly, it's n-nothing…"

"_Onee-chan,_ come on, I'll take you to the bathroom. Let's get you cleaned up. Can you walk?"

"Y-yeah, th-thanks Tsukasa…"

"Do…" Konata bit her lip. "Do you want me to come with you?"

Kagami smiled at her blearily through her tears. "No, go ahead and eat your lunch. I'm fine, seriously." She allowed Tsukasa to lead her off toward the girls' bathroom, her shoulders still shaking.

Once they were out of sight, Konata blinked and turned to look at Miyuki, baffled. "What was _that_ about? I've never seen her have a breakdown like that before…"

Miyuki smiled gently and patted Konata's hand. "It's probably just stress. You know how hard she works."

"Yeah, too hard." But Konata frowned as she said that; she didn't believe it for a second. She had a hunch that she knew what was really going on, but without more evidence there was nothing she could do. At the moment, there was nothing for it but to wait, until the new transfer student decided to come to school again…

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

The rest of the day passed without incident. Kagami was grateful; no one had mentioned her outburst, or even looked at her that strangely, though Konata was unusually quiet on the train home. Her mind had started working the moment she cleaned her face in the bathroom, and she had been thinking about it through all the afternoon classes and even during the student council meeting…

"We're home!" she called out as she stepped in the door, kicking off her shoes and easing into her slippers. "Excuse me for a couple minutes," she said to Tsukasa, who nodded. With that said, she marched into the kitchen where her father was scanning a newspaper, clasped her hands behind her back, and cleared her throat.

"Hello, Kagami," said Tadao Hiiragi, the faint lines of his handsome face crinkling into a smile as he folded the newspaper over. "Did you have a good day?"

"It was fine," said Kagami. "Listen, Dad…"

Then she told him.

It wasn't often that something took Tadao completely off guard… his demeanor was usually unflappable. This time, though, he dropped his newspaper entirely as his eyes widened. He wasn't sure he had understood his daughter correctly. His mouth moved, and he asked, "You want to _what?_"

"Learn kendo," said Kagami firmly. "There's a club at school. Is that okay?"

Tadao ran his hands through his black hair in confusion. "I… I don't know, Kagami. I never knew you were interested in kendo… Isn't the equipment awfully expensive?"

"It can be," said Kagami, refusing to budge. She had anticipated this argument… "I'm only on the student council right now, and I'm a little worried that it won't look good on my college application if I don't join some kind of club between now and the end of next year…"

"Yes, but _kendo?_ Isn't there any other kind of club you want to join?"

"Not really." Kagami shook her head. "I know it's expensive, but I'm willing to put my monthly allowance and my tips from working at the shrine toward it… please, Dad? It's traditional, right?"

"It is at that," Tadao admitted, still bewildered. "If it's all right with your mother, I suppose you can join… but if you _do_, I want you to stick with it, okay? Don't just try it for a week or two and then quit. I expect you to do your best, like you do with everything else."

Kagami smiled widely and bowed. Perfect. "I will, Dad, I promise. Thank you."

* * *

><p><em>"You want to <em>what?_" _screeched Konata in disbelief.

Kagami winced and held the phone away from her ear. "Lower the decibels a little, would you?"

_"Wh…"_ Konata stammered. For one of the only times that Kagami could remember, she was nearly speechless. _"Where did _this_ come from? Really, Kagamin, is there some boy on the kendo team that you're crushing on? Because there are better ways to flirt, you know…"_

"No, there is _not_ some boy on the kendo team," said Kagami testily.

_"Right, of course not,"_ said Konata. _"I forgot, you're into girls now…"_

She opened her mouth to yell at her friend… then thought the better of it, and decided not to rise to the bait. "So? What do you think?"

_"Well…"_ Konata said slowly. _"There are plenty of cool characters in anime who do kendo, and it does look fun swinging swords around… but then there's all that armor and stuff, and all the rules… I dunno."_

"You sound just like Tsukasa," she griped. "She couldn't give me a straight answer either."

_"Can you blame her? You did kinda spring this on us out of nowhere… All right, I guess I'm okay with it. Just one thing…"_

"What's that?"

_"… You're not gonna become one of those butch lesbian jock girls, are you? Because that totally doesn't suit your character type."_

"Why, you…!"

_"Just kidding, just kidding! But seriously, I _like_ you as a _tsundere._ Don't change on us, okay?"_

She had to grin at that. "I promise. I'll talk to you later, Konata, I want to get some sleep."

_"Later, Kagamin."_

"And Konata?"

_"Yeah?"_

"Thanks."

There was a long silence. _"Not a problem."_

Kagami pushed the end button, replaced the phone in its cradle, and fell spread-eagled into her mattress. Staring up at the ceiling, she clenched her hands into fists. _Okay, Akemi. So this is how it's gonna be? Fine. I'm not taking it lying down… If you won't let me help, I'm just going to have to help myself._

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Japan<strong>

The Ninth dreamed…

This was in itself unusual. Demons didn't sleep in a fashion that humans would understand. The closest equivalent would be a mammal going into an extremely brief period of hibernation… and any visions Demons had in this state were not abstract images from the subconscious like human dreams, but memories…

He dreamed of his first moments of existence, of intense pain as he emerged from his Curse Seed in the depths of a squalid human city. He remembered howling at the stormy sky above him in rage and confusion… all he knew was that his mother was gone, and he was alone…

As time passed, he began to understand. There were others of his kind, far different from the normal, bestial Demons. They were separated from each other in the phenomenon that gave them birth… the Second brought them all together, for she was the most intelligent of them all. She alone had determined what had happened: in her death throes, Mother had somehow given them life, and because Mother was an extraordinary Demon, so were her children.

The Second taught them all, using her unique powers to peel apart human minds, to better understand their prey. As their knowledge grew, they began to recognize aspects of themselves in these strange, fragile creatures that infested the world like parasites… The humans had names for these aspects, had vilified them and tried to deny that they lurked somewhere in every human heart. The Second had found that to be amusing.

So it was that they became the Nine, molding themselves after these dark aspects that the humans tried so hard to bury. They went forth and fed, and for a time, all was good.

Then, somehow, the Second learned more. Perhaps it was somehow a fragment of Mother's memory, or perhaps she _was_ Mother's intelligence, given form and shape… none of them knew for sure. The Second told them all that Mother's death was caused by humans. Not normal, weak, fragile humans, but humans as different from their brethren as the Nine were from other Demons. Puellae Magi, she called them. They were the reason the Ninth was alone. They were the reason Mother had abandoned them all in this cold world…

They made a vow, then: they would bring Mother back, or die trying to avenge her. The Second explained that there was a way to do that: Mother's human shell existed in this world. All they needed to do was free her from that shell, and Mother would live again.

It was not that simple. A Puella Magi appeared, just one. She somehow knew of the Nine, and targeted them… already, the First, Fourth, and Fifth had fallen to her. Only six of them were left. But still, six of the Nine against one Puella Magi…

_"You summoned me?" _said the Second, rousing him.

The Ninth began to move again, his dormancy over as quickly as it had begun. _"Yes,"_ he said to her. Then, with disgust, _"Speak to me as you truly are. That form disgusts me."_

The Second was still in the form of the young human female she had chosen to impersonate… why, the Ninth couldn't understand. _"I enjoy this form,"_ she said. _"It pleases me. It pleases her as well."_

_"She does not suspect?"_

_ "No, none of them do. Her power masks my presence, and she is well under my thrall."_

_ "Good."_

_ "Did you see?"_

_ "See what?"_

The Second's wavelengths peaked with pleasure. _"The Puella Magi. She retreated. She is nearly broken. I doubt she will interfere much longer."_

_ "Good. I shall send one of our brethren soon. Continue as you are."_

_ "Yes."_ With that, the Second departed from their realm.

The Ninth would not allow himself to be pleased by the Second's success, for though she was the most intelligent of them all, he knew something she did not. He had kept this thing a secret from the others, buried it deep within himself, for they would never understand it…

He was alone. He had always been alone. He would always be alone. The focal points, the Puella Magi, the others of the Nine, they were less than nothing to him, means to an end. By the time Mother returned, they would all be gone. Being alone was everything. Everything.

**END OF CHAPTER 12**


	13. Chapter 13: Thank You Very Much

_*Author's Note: I deeply apologize for the sudden barrage of kendo terminology presented in this chapter. I know it reeks of lazy exposition and/or the author showing off, but the only alternatives I could think of were to either footnote everything, or to have no explanation at all and pray my readers got it anyway. Any _kendoka _that might be reading, please also forgive any incorrect usage of terms you may find… I tried my best to ensure my research was accurate, but much like Kagami, I'm coming into the sport cold. - BHS*_

**CHAPTER 13: Thank You Very Much**

**Ryouou High**

**Three Weeks Later**

_So, no luck?_

_No,_ thought Homura as she made a show of rearranging her locker. _The one at the shipping port was a normal Demon, not one of the Nine._

_ Are you certain?_ asked Kyubey.

_Quite certain, it was far too easy to kill. The rest of the Nine are in hiding. They're planning something, I'm sure of it._

"Hey, Akemi-san?"

_What about the bodies?_

_ Which ones?_

_ The bodies of the victims that burned themselves to death. Have you found the Demon responsible?_

"Akemi-san? Hello?"

Homura grimaced. She had found nearly a dozen of those victims lately, and the sight of each one had turned her stomach. The police forensic reports suspected a serial arsonist… but the police weren't able to see the Brands, which stood out to her like neon signs even on skin blackened beyond recognition. _Not yet_, she replied. _Don't worry, I'll track it down._

_ I wasn't worried,_ said Kyubey, with something remarkably close to smugness.

"Hellooooooooo? Akemi, wake up!"

Homura emerged from her locker and stood up straight, intending to tell the speaker to go away… and found herself facing only the upper sweep of a blue _ahoge._ She blinked; about fifteen centimeters down, the owner of the _ahoge_ was cat-smiling up at her in a way that reminded her of a significantly friendlier Kyubey.

"Hi," said Konata. "Wow, I didn't really figure you for the daydreaming type."

"Izumi-san?" Homura recovered quickly from her surprise, her features settling back into neutrality. "What are you doing here? Aren't you in Class E across the hall?"

Konata waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, but I'm always late. Kuroi-_sensei_ won't get really mad unless I miss the first five minutes or so."

"I see."

"So anyway… I haven't seen you in a while."

"I've been ill," said Homura flatly, wondering if any of this had a point.

"Yeah, I figured. You're sort of like my cousin Yu-chan, she's really sickly too. So, I guess you didn't hear about Kagamin, then…"

Tensing just slightly, Homura feigned disinterest. "What about Hiiragi-san?"

"She's on the kendo club now! Can you believe it?" Konata's eyes sparkled. "I don't think I've ever heard her say a word about kendo, but all of a sudden she's all determined and stuff, and going to practice almost every day. She's got the swords and everything…"

"Ah," said Homura. She was indeed aware of this; Kyubey had mentioned it in passing. For the moment, she found no reason to be concerned… it was unusual, of course, but given all the stress Kagami had gone through lately, she probably needed something new to vent it. Kendo seemed as good a way as any, as long as she wasn't putting herself in danger.

Konata was still barreling on. "… and at first she really sucked at it, I mean, of _course_ she did! She's never held a sword in her life! I was half-expecting her to quit after the first three days, you should have seen her blisters, they were _huge_… but no, Kagamin's just that stubborn, she's still at it!"

Homura began to edge slightly to the side, trying to escape the barrage of conversation. There really _wasn't_ any point to it, and she was clearly not interested, so why was Konata still talking?

Her attempt to escape was futile; Konata moved to the side along with her. "It's really weird," she continued, "She only got into all this kendo stuff after the day she started crying in the lunch room. Did you hear about that?"

"No," said Homura truthfully, suppressing a pang of guilt.

"It was _awful!_ I've never seen her like that, she was just blubbering into her food, couldn't even tell us what was wrong. _Tsukasa's_ the crybaby most of the time, and Kagamin only cries about her weight…"

"Izumi-san," said Homura with as much patience as she was willing to muster, "I need to get to class."

"I'm not finished." With that sentence, Konata broke eye contact, and her voice dropped about an octave.

"Izumi-san?" Homura blinked again, confused.

"Listen, Akemi," said Konata, her voice still dangerously low. "I may look stupid, but I _know_ there's something weird going on with you. Kagami is my best friend, and if I find out that _you're_ the one who made her cry…" Konata lifted her head and pierced Homura with her gaze, clear and unafraid. "… I'll be taking you _down_, bitch. _You are already dead_."

Homura stared at her incredulously, at this tiny little scrap of a schoolgirl that she barely even knew… and saw something in those angry, half-lidded green eyes that she found hauntingly familiar. It was the same iron determination that greeted her in the mirror each morning, the willingness to face down all the Demons in Hell if it meant protecting her dearest friend. She looked into those eyes and knew exactly how serious Konata Izumi was with her threat… and to her shock, Homura found herself unnerved.

Then Konata closed her eyes, smiled, and waved. "Okay, I gotta go, don't wanna give Kuroi-_sensei_ another reason to yell at me. Her blood pressure's gotta be off the charts as it is. Later!" She was gone before Homura could say another word.

* * *

><p><strong>Ryouou High Dojo<strong>

"Hiiragi, STOP!"

_Oh, what _now? thought Kagami in exasperation. Panting, she rose from her stance and relaxed her grip on her _shinai_. Turning from her sparring partner to face Ibuki-_sensei_, she answered as calmly and politely as she could. "Yes, _sensei_?" This was the third time in a half-hour he had interrupted one of her sparring matches.

Her teacher glared at her from where he sat in the _seiza_ position on the floor of the dojo. He had black hair cut short like bristles, and a slightly round, stout face and figure. That face was lined with both age and frustration. "Remove your _men,_" he said.

"Yes, _sensei._" That was a relief, at least. She pulled the cords tying her hood and faceplate assembly, then lifted them off and held them to her side. Coolness washed over her skin, slick and dripping with sweat… the _tenugui_ head towel wrapped around her forehead was soaked through. She had known going in that learning kendo was going to be rough… she had no idea exactly how hot, sweaty, exhausting, and painful it actually was, though.

Ibuki stood up, his hands folded behind his back. "Hiiragi, are you a pirate?"

"Uh, no, _sensei._" Kagami blinked. What kind of question was that? Was he making a joke?

"Are you a musketeer?" asked Ibuki. No, whatever he meant by it, it definitely wasn't a joke.

"No, _sensei_," she answered again.

"Are you a Jedi Knight?"

A few of the other students in the dojo started to laugh, and Kagami's cheeks reddened. "No, _sensei._"

"Then why," asked Ibuki with his most severe glare, "are you swinging your _shinai_ like one?"

Her face turned scarlet as she bowed. _Damn it._ "Forgive me, _sensei._"

"Understand this, Hiiragi: this is not a movie. You are not a pirate, or a musketeer, or a Jedi. When you swing your sword, you aim for your _opponent_, not his weapon. You strike for the head, forearm, torso, or throat. You do _not_ aim to lock blades or put on a show for the people watching. If you want to do that, go to the theater club and ask them to give you a lesson in stage-fighting. Is that clear?"

Squeezing her eyes shut in shame, Kagami kept her head low. "Yes, _sensei._"

This chastisement was nothing new by now. Ibuki was a very old-fashioned teacher with a hard edge and a no-nonsense manner; he warned her when she joined that she wouldn't receive special treatment just for being a girl and a beginner. She told him she understood… but lately she was wondering if that hadn't been a lie.

"Good, that's enough. Matsuzaka, Hiiragi, bow!"

Kagami turned back to her _sempai_, a very handsome, stern-faced senior with black hair and long bangs that were just visible through the grille of his _men_. She bowed deeply to him, and he to her. "Thank you very much," she said with Matsuzaka in unison.

"Hiiragi, you're dismissed for the day," said Ibuki, pointing to her with the closed black case of the collapsing fan he always carried with him. "Matsuzaka, pair with Aiba for your next match."

"Yes, _sensei._ Thank you very much," she said with another bow, hoping she didn't sound too relieved by her dismissal. A gangly, extremely excitable boy sprung up eagerly to take her place as Matsuzaka's sparring partner as she walked to the doors of the dojo, not looking back.

Once she was outside, Kagami slumped against the dojo's wall with a sigh, removing the clip that kept her long violet hair bundled up while wearing the _men_. She shook her head, letting it fall around her… and made a horrible face as a muscle in her neck twinged. She _hurt…_ she thought that after three weeks, her body would toughen up, but she was still getting constant aches and bruises all over. Not only that, but she was certain she smelled to high heaven… she could almost see the cloud of steam rising from her armor and evaporating into the hot, still air. _Starting kendo in the middle of summer might not have been the best idea_, she reflected as she headed to the showers.

She was learning the terms and etiquette, at least. Working as a miko had made her a natural at picking up manners and rituals, and in kendo there were a _lot_ of them. One of her earliest mistakes had been referring to the bamboo practice swords as _bokken_ out loud… that one had earned her a ferocious glare from Ibuki-_sensei_ and a tide of mocking laughter from the rest of the class. It turned out that _bokken_ were much harder, wooden blades only used for practicing _kata_ techniques; using them for sparring would leave the _kendoka_ with far worse than aches and bruises, even with the heavy armor and robes. The correct term for the bamboo blades was _shinai_, and they hurt significantly less when you were struck with them. Less, but they still hurt.

In addition to the swords, there was of course the armor, or _bogu._ Consisting of the _men_ facemask, hood, and shoulder guards; the hard and rigid _do_ chest protector, the _tare_ flaps worn at her waist, and the bulky _kote_ gloves, which felt to Kagami like winter mittens, it had taken the better part of a week just to learn to _move_ in that get-up. All of that was worn in addition to a very thick _keiko gi_ jacket and traditional baggy _hakama_ trousers. Almost all these were dark-colored and trapped heat easily, so an extended practice session often felt to her like being confined in a sauna. Showers had become a minor luxury for her; never before had she appreciated how good a cascade of cold water could make her feel.

She emerged from the girls' locker room changed into her school uniform, rubbing her face with a towel as she shouldered her equipment bag. The sky was already pink, on the verge of turning purple, and she could hear crows cawing to each other in the distance.

_It's almost our birthday_, she thought to herself wistfully, missing the sight of Tsukasa's smiling face coming to greet her as she began the lonely walk to the bus that would take her to the train station. It couldn't be avoided, of course. Kendo classes had thrown their schedule into chaos, and there was now simply no way both twins could ride home together at the same time. Tsukasa had started taking the early train home with Konata after their last afternoon class let out… Miyuki was now riding with them too, despite the fact that she lived in the Tokyo Metropolitan area, far out of the way of the train route. Despite the inconvenience, she was doing it anyway, so Tsukasa wouldn't feel lonely… Kagami was grateful for that. Funny, she had been seeing far more of Miyuki lately than usual. They were close friends, sure, but Miyuki had always been just a little… aloof.

Aloof. Like Homura.

_Damn it._ Kagami stopped in her tracks and shut her eyes tight. No matter how hard she tried, she kept thinking of Homura at the least opportune moments. Homura was still there, two seats back from her in the classroom, though they hadn't spoken a word or even looked at each other since that awful morning. Homura was still invading her dreams at night, doing things that made her wake up wet with perspiration. Even when she wasn't present, Homura came to mind whenever she saw the white furry creature that had taken up residence in her room, though he tried to keep out of sight for the most part.

At least part of the reason Kagami had taken up kendo lessons was to get a reaction out of her. She had been sure the news would shatter that horrible stoic attitude of hers; quite the contrary, she was just as indifferent to that as anything else, Kyubey had told her so. She had almost quit the club then… but no, she promised her father and herself that she would stick it out, Homura or no Homura. The pain and exhaustion didn't matter, what mattered was _doing_ something, making herself feel like she was readying for the fight against the Demons. When and if they came for her and Tsukasa, she could at least make them regret it.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya<strong>

**One Hour Later**

"I'm home," Kagami called out as she shut the door behind her. It was almost six o'clock, but the house was unusually silent and empty. She supposed that her parents and older sisters were out running errands, or in Inori and Matsuri's cases, at classmates' houses cramming for exams. Tsukasa was home, though: Kagami saw her shoes lined up neatly in the _genkai_, next to her own that she had just placed down, and another pair, slightly larger…

_Ah, Miyuki. They must be having a study session or something._ Shrugging, she set down her bags and stepped into her slippers. "Tsukasa? I'm home," she called out again.

There was no answer.

_Is she asleep?_she thought. _No, can't be, not if Miyuki's here. She could be in the bath… but that would be kind of rude. The shower? No, I don't hear any water running…_ Frowning, Kagami started up the stairs. "Tsukasa?"

Then she heard it, muffled through the door and upper floor but unmistakable: her sister's voice sighed.

Kagami climbed the stairs faster. _Damn it, she's probably got her headphones on or something. _Letting out a sigh of her own, she emerged from the stairwell and walked to Tsukasa's bedroom door. Sliding it open, she started, "Tsukasa, didn't you-"

At first, she didn't know what she was seeing. Then, when she _did_ figure it out, it refused to register for several seconds… the image before her simply made no sense, no sense at all. So she just stood there in the doorway as her mind ground to a halt…

Tsukasa was sitting sideways on her bed, her legs dangling over the side, spread wide apart. The shirt of her school uniform was pulled up almost to the collar, her bra was caught its folds. White lace was visible inside her crumpled blue skirt, which was loose around her left ankle. One of her sister's hands was clasped to her breast… she squeezed and let out another, much louder sigh, totally unaware of Kagami's presence. Her other hand was on the head of the person who was down on both knees in front of her, doing _something_ that was making Tsukasa squirm… her fingers were gently running through that person's long mane of pink hair, which obscured most of them from view.

Pink hair.

Pink hair.

Pink hair.

Tsukasa. And Miyuki.

Something clicked over in Kagami's mind. Putting a hand to her mouth in horrified surprise, her eyes wide as saucers, she shrieked, _"Tsukasa?"_

Tsukasa cracked open one eye, saw her sister standing there watching… and screamed out loud.

The door slammed shut so hard it skipped its groove. Kagami ran for the safety of her own room, pale as a sheet, thinking she was going to be sick at any moment. That image stayed burned in her mind as if placed there by a brand… She heaved as she threw her own door shut, collapsing against it in a sudden cold sweat. It wouldn't go away, that image wouldn't go away…

Tsukasa. And Miyuki.

Kagami reeled, her world spinning out of control. How? How was this possible? How could her sweet, innocent, airheaded little sister and one of her best friends be-

_No. It's not possible._

Tsukasa. And Miyuki. Doing that.

_It's gotta be some kind of mistake. I must be having a nightmare, those two would never-_

Tsukasa. And Miyuki. Doing that. Doing _things._

_It can't be real,_ she thought desperately, her stomach churning itself into knots. _It can't be real. Has to be a dream._

Tsukasa. And Miyuki. Doing that. Doing _things,_ to each other.

An unwelcome voice entered her mind, the last voice she wanted to hear at the moment. Kyubey appeared in his usual spot in the windowsill, cocking his head to the side, wearing that damned smile… _Kagami? Is something wrong?_

"_Shut up!_" she screamed at him aloud, beyond caring if Tsukasa heard. Of _course_ she wouldn't hear, not if she and Miyuki were still…

Doing that. Doing _things_, to each other...

Kyubey watched her, fascinated, as she hugged her knees and began to cry from sheer exhaustion, a few dry heaves slipping in between breaths. What extraordinarily strange creatures humans were.

**END OF CHAPTER 13**


	14. Chapter 14: You're in Love, Aren't You?

_*Author's Note: STARS ABOVE now has cover art, thanks to the amazing Hikari-Luv! Check it out here (remove spaces): fav .me / d4w1y0y *  
><em>

**CHAPTER 14: You're in Love, Aren't You?**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

It had been ten minutes now.

Ten minutes since she'd seen _that._

Kagami knew on some level that she was being ridiculous. Tsukasa was almost seventeen, and Miyuki just a few months younger. Both were well past old enough to make their own decisions. Why shouldn't they have a relationship? Why shouldn't they do _that_ with-

Her skin crawled, and she rubbed her arms frantically. Because the very image was so desperately _wrong_, that was why; it was out of place with her entire universe. Her twin sister was the goofball who put off her homework during breaks until the night before, the one who constantly broke or misplaced her cell phone, the one who slept until one in the afternoon and still felt tired. And Miyuki was the perfect young lady, what Konata called the "embodiment of _moe_": a walking encyclopedia, slightly klutzy, deathly afraid of dentists and things being put in her eyes, always speaking formally even among friends. Kagami had never given thought to either of them having someone special… the possibility was so remote as to not matter at all.

Now everything she thought she knew about Tsukasa and Miyuki was thrown into disarray. She felt more than ashamed, she felt somehow unclean… and though she knew it was stupid to even think it, she felt betrayed. That was what hurt the most… Tsukasa, who always trusted her with everything and couldn't lie to save her life, had somehow kept a secret from her, a huge, terrifying secret.

_Knock, knock, knock._ "_Onee-chan?_"

Kagami gave a start. She was slumped against the door again, her back to it. She had only moved to grab her faithful old Bonta-kun plushie from her bed, so she would have something familiar to hug while she tried to make sense of it all… then she had gone right back to the same spot where she had collapsed.

"_Onee-chan?_ P-Please talk to me. Yuki-chan's gone now, we're not-"

_Yuki-chan_. Another sting of betrayal pierced Kagami's heart. How could she not have realized that something like this was happening? The evidence was right there all along: she and "Yuki-chan" talking late into the night, studying together, riding the train home together. Tsukasa had even been more prone to daydreaming lately… Kagami had written it off as her usual airheadedness. _Stupid. I'm so stupid… I should have known._ "Just go away," she said, clutching Bonta-kun tighter.

"_Onee-chan_, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have found out like that. We were gonna tell you, really, we were! We just… at first Yuki-chan didn't want you to get angry, and then things got… more serious, and the more we, well… the harder it got to come out and say it."

"'More _serious?_'" Kagami spat out in disbelief. That was the understatement of the year, if not the decade. "Tsukasa, you and Miyuki were… were…!"

"… having sex."

_Having sex._ Kagami reeled. There it was, out in the open, straight from Tsukasa's mouth. Whatever slim hope she had of this being some kind of wild misunderstanding, now it was gone. How could _her_ Tsukasa possibly say it so frankly? It was as if her sister had become a complete stranger… those words didn't fit at all with her voice. "Oh God, Tsukasa…" she moaned, despairing.

"_Onee-chan_, try to understand. We _care_ about each other, you know? We both wanted to, it's not like she for-"

"Stop, just stop." Kagami's stomach did a backflip. "Whatever you were about to say, _don't say it._"

"S-Sorry…"

"How long? How long has… has _this_ been going on?" The question sounded hollow to her ears. It was hard to believe she was even _talking_ about this, when all she really wanted to do was cry some more.

There was a pause on the other side of the door. "… It's been a little over five weeks since we… got together."

Kagami thought back. "Five weeks…" Her head rose, just slightly. "Don't tell me that was-"

"… the day you and Kusakabe and Minegeshi fainted on the roof," Tsukasa finished. "That's right."

_Homura._ Kagami thought her name with such bitterness that she saw Kyubey's ears perk up across the room out of the corner of her eye. _Of course, that was her second day at school. Everything's been going crazy since she came here…_ Her hands curled into fists.

_Should I intervene?_ said Kyubey in that infuriatingly calm voice of his. _That thought was highly charged with emotion._

_Can it!_ she thought savagely at him.

_If I'm reading the situation correctly… _Kyubey paused to sort his thoughts. _You are upset because you saw Tsukasa and her friend trying to procreate, correct?_

_I said _can it_, furball._

_Well, _said Kyubey matter-of-factly, _I can certainly understand why that would upset you. The actions you saw were in error, weren't they? I admit I don't entirely understand human biological processes, but I know that Tsukasa and Miyuki are both females, and that it requires male semen in order to-_

_ SHUT UP!_ Kagami hurled Bonta-kun at him, hoping she could hit him, just this once… no such luck. He phased through the window long before the stuffed animal hit the glass.

Tsukasa must have heard the thump. "_Onee-chan_, what was that? Are you okay?"

"It was nothing," she said aloud, with more venom than she intended.

"R-Right." There was another pause, longer than the first. "You're… you're not gonna tell Mom and Dad, are you?"

Kagami wanted to. Oh, how she wanted to. Right now, she thought the only thing that would truly make her feel better was her parents reading Tsukasa the riot act. But… "No," she said with a resigned sigh, pressing a hand against her forehead. "You can tell them yourself. I don't want any part of this."

A relieved sigh filtered through the door. "Thank you, _onee-chan._ I will tell them, I promise. I just…" The next sentence came out all in a rush. "I wish you could understand. I thought for sure you would, since you and Akemi-san…"

Her cheeks flushed. "What _about_ me and Akemi? There's nothing like _that_ between us. _Nothing._"

"_Onee-chan._" Her voice was so gentle, soft as an old flannel blanket. "You're in love, aren't you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Satte, Saitama<strong>

Homura was beginning to grow annoyed. Even without using a Puella Magi's enhanced senses, she heard the footsteps clearly. They matched her pace well, and stopped whenever she did, but she could still hear them. Every so often, she would come to a halt and glare back over her shoulder, only to find no one there. Then she would start walking again, and she would hear the footsteps… and the chuckle. At first, it was _almost_ amusing, but after several kilometers of the same thing, over and over again… She stopped again and flipped her hair back with a scowl. "Izumi-san, enough," she said. "I detest being followed."

Footsteps padded up behind her, but she wasn't going to look. "_Damn_, you're good!" said Konata. "I thought was being all sneaky, shinobi-style and stuff! Do you have super-hearing like Asuna from _Negima_ or something?"

"No," said Homura, not even bothering to ask what "Negima" was. "Why are you here?"

Konata fell into step next to her, keeping pace with her long strides surprisingly easily. "What do you mean?" she said innocently. "My dad and I live in Satte."

"You've been following me ever since we got off the train. That includes when I walked all the way through Shiraoka just to lose you."

"_Fu fu fu~,_"chuckled Konata, crossing her arms and nodding. "You won't shake me that easily, Akemi-san."

"Don't you have somewhere to be? It's getting late. Your mother will worry."

"I'm sure she would, if I had one. It's just me and Dad."

"I'm sorry," said Homura flatly, feeling anything but at the moment.

"Nah, it's fine." Konata waved a hand nonchalantly. "You didn't know."

"Please, go home," Homura made an effort to say it as politely but firmly as she could. "If you're trying to be friends, you're wasting your time."

"Nope." The blue-haired girl's lips curled upward into her trademark smile. "That's not why I'm here."

"_Why, _then?"

"Simple, Akemi-san." She pointed upward at her. "I want to know your secret."

Homura remained firmly staring straight ahead as she pressed on. She wasn't even walking anywhere in particular, she was just trying to get away. "I don't have any secrets."

"Ooooh, you _are_ good. I could almost believe you… but no. A girl like you _has_ to have a secret. I've seen it in hundreds of anime: the mysterious transfer student who never smiles! Nobody acts like you do without a reason."

Homura gritted her teeth. "Izumi-san, has it ever occurred to you that life is not like anime?"

"Nope," she said cheerfully. "Not even once."

"Of course."

"See, just look at my life," said Konata, shouldering her school bag and counting on her fingers. "There's Kagamin, who's a _tsundere_. There's Tsukasa, the _dojikko_, and Miyuki-san, who's totally _moe_, and Kuroi-_sensei_, the _urenokori._ My dad's _ecchi_, and my cousin Yu-chan is the cute little ill girl. Then there's you, the Rei Ayanami/Yuki Nagato clone. Too much adds up for it to be a coincidence… and the Rei or Yuki type _always_ has some deep, dark secret. So what's yours?"

"You're wrong," said Homura, as bluntly as she could. "I don't-" Then she paused in mid-step. Something felt wrong… she could feel a very faint tingle traveling up and down her spine like a weak electric shock. Not strong enough to be a Demon or Spawn, barely even worth notice… but it was there.

"You keep saying that, Akemi-san, but I'll never believe it," Konata blathered on. "So I'm just gonna have to- Akemi-san? What's up?"

"Quiet," she said, holding out a hand. She needed to check her Soul Gem to be sure, but how to do that when the other girl was watching her so closely? She could summon her shield and stop time, but that would doubtless only invite further questions, questions she didn't have the time or patience to answer.

With a slithering sound of cloth on concrete, six figures emerged out of the alleyway just ahead of them. They were tall, thin, wearing very long hooded robes of blood-red, which concealed their bodies entirely within their folds. No flesh could be seen at all; even their faces were obscured in the shadows of their hoods. Each one wore a string of beads around their necks… rosaries.

"Whoa, who _are_ these guys?" whispered Konata behind her. "Are they monks or something?"

"I don't know. Don't worry, Izumi-san, I'll handle this," she said. Raising her voice, she glared at the nearest of the six. "Please, let us pass."

The red-cloaked figure spoke in a horrible, asthmatic rasp. "_You…_" it wheezed, "_You come… with us._"

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Kagami's cheeks had been smoldering, but now she felt her whole face start to burn. "_Wh-what?_ Tsukasa, you're crazy! There's no _way_ I'm in-"

"Come on, _onee-chan_," said Tsukasa patiently, from the other side of the door. "Even _I_ could see it. The way you look at her, ever since that day…"

"No…" Kagami shook her head frantically. "I-It's not true! It _can't_ be true, dammit!"

"You think about her all the time," said Tsukasa, almost whispering. "She keeps coming into your head when you're doing other things, distracting you from what you should be doing. She makes you feel all warm inside when she's around you, and colder when she's not. Every time you touch her, you get this… this tingle, that goes down your back, all the way to your toes and up again to the top of your head. She's there in your dreams, and when you close your eyes… and you _know _it doesn't make sense, but still…"

Swallowing heavily, Kagami hugged herself tight. Tsukasa's description was uncannily accurate; how on earth did she know…?

"Am I right, _onee-chan?_" There was none of her usual playfulness in her voice.

"I-"

"Well?" This was all wrong, _she_ was supposed to be the mature one, not Tsukasa…

She stood up, rubbed her eyes, and swallowed again. Taking a deep breath, Kagami opened the door…

… and Tsukasa fell inside, wrapped in a faded blue bathrobe, and threw her arms around her. "It's okay, _onee-chan._ Really, it's okay."

Kagami embraced her sister, squeezing her eyes shut tight. "God, Tsukasa… I just don't know what's been wrong with me…"

"Ssssh," she said, patting her back. "Nothing's wrong, nothing at all."

"I…" She sniffled, then went on. "I don't think… We're not there yet. I… I think I l-like her, but she's just so…"

A hint of a smile appeared on Tsukasa's face. "Cold?"

"Y-Yeah," Kagami laughed shakily. "Tsukasa, she's… She pretends to be strong, all the time, but I can see how much she's hurting deep down… She's been through so much pain, like you wouldn't believe, and I _want_ to help her, but-"

"It's gonna be okay, _onee-chan_." When she spoke that way, Kagami could almost believe it. "We'll figure it out, somehow."

"Th-thanks, Tsukasa, really." Kagami smiled through the tears threatening to form in her eyes. "I appreciate your help, but you just can't imagine how _weird_ her life has been…"

Again, that hint of amusement tugged at Tsukasa's lips. "I think I have a guess… Does it have anything to do with that little white thing that's been following us?"

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Satte<strong>

Homura's pulse quickened. The lead monk was speaking in Japanese, not Demon speech… that was a good sign, at least. But then, if these were just normal monks, why were her senses reacting? Why were her instincts telling her to summon her Soul Gem and transform, damn the consequences?

Apparently, Konata hadn't picked up the danger. "Come with you? Why should we?" she asked, coming forward to stand by Homura's side.

"_You… are sinners,_" rasped the lead monk. "_Sinners… must repent._"

"'Repent?'" Konata raised an eyebrow. "Uh, no thanks. I _like_ being the way I am. I'm a little bit underage to be playing _eroge_, but what does that matter? Age is just a number."

"Izumi-san," hissed Homura out of the corner of her mouth. "I don't think you should provoke them."

"Why? They're _monks_, monks have vows of non-violence and stuff like that. What are they gonna do, chant mantras at us?"

The red-clad figures shuffled forward as one. "_Sinners… must repent,_" said the lead monk again.

"Although…" Konata crossed her arms again, tilting her head to the side. "I guess they could be kung-fu monks, like in the movies. Crap, that would be bad."

Fine hairs rose on the back of Homura's neck with every step the monks took towards them. Her mind raced… whatever these things were, human or Demon, she had to get Izumi out of here… "Izumi-san," she said as calmly as she could, "I think we're in trouble. When I say so, start running, and don't look back. I'll distract them somehow."

"Nuh-uh." The blue _ahoge_ waved back and forth as its owner shook her head. "Sorry, Akemi-san, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

"What?" Homura stared down at her as the monks drew closer, forming a circle around them. "Izumi-san, this is no time to be stubborn!"

Incredibly, the tiny girl dropped her school bag, bent her knees, and assumed a martial arts stance. She beamed her cat-like smile up at Homura, all bluster and confidence. "This isn't being stubborn, this is me protecting you. I don't know what's going on with you and Kagamin, but I know she likes you a lot, so I gotta keep you safe, for her."

A faint pink tinge colored Homura's pale cheeks. She opened her mouth to protest, but no words could come out.

"Besides," Konata chuckled. "You said yourself that you're sickly, so protecting you is what an ally of justice would do!" Nodding her head at that sage wisdom, she clenched her fists and stared defiantly at the nearest monk.

"I-Izumi…!" That was all she could say; the idea of Konata protecting _her_ was so ridiculous that she couldn't think of a proper argument against it.

"Just stay behind me, Akemi-san," said Konata. "Don't worry… I may be small, but I'm tougher than I look."

The circle of robes tightened around them. "_You will… come with us,_" wheezed the leader again, raising a very long arm draped in red cloth. "_Sinners… must-_"

That was as far as he got; the rest of his horrible rasping voice was drowned out by Konata's high-pitched battle cry as she launched herself at the monk closest to her. Her tiny fists were a blur of motion as she pummeled the monk with a series of rapid strikes to the gut. "_AAAATATATATATATATATA…_"

There was nothing else for it, Homura decided. No matter how brave or skilled Konata thought she was, she wouldn't stand a chance against whatever these things were if they decided to attack her all at once. _I have to finish this quickly… _She thrust out her hand to summon her Soul Gem…

… and her arm was seized from behind in the iron grip of a monk's hand, jutting from beneath the folds of its sleeve. The hand was attached to an impossibly long arm, withered and skeletal and covered in thin grey skin, with huge, ugly calluses on its knuckles.

Shocked that they had anticipated her movement, she let out a short cry of denial and began pouring magic into her left arm, enhancing her strength. Homura's focus was so directed on tearing away, she never saw the rusted metal implement that the monk in front of her was drawing from its robe, until it was too late.

Firebursts exploded in her eyes as the monk struck a brutal overhanded blow to her skull. Her head split with agony… she knew she had to activate her "pain switch" to suppress it, but it was no good, it hurt far too much to concentrate... Homura's knees buckled; she dropped the enhancement on her arm and diverted what was left of her focus to healing the wound and staying awake. The effort lasted until the weapon struck her again, even harder this time, sending another searing, white-hot jolt through her body. _A pipe…_ she thought as she went limp, crumpling to the pavement. _It's using a pipe. That's… almost brilliant…_

Though her vision was blurring rapidly, she could still make out Konata fighting on… that curtain of blue hair was unmistakably her. The red figure she was attacking stumbled backward, tripping and falling over its own long robes. She turned on her heel, saw Homura lying there bleeding, and screamed, "_Akemi! You bastards, what did you do to her?"_

_Run,_ mouthed Homura silently. Her voice wouldn't work right. _Izumi, run…_

Konata didn't run. She threw herself at the next monk, pounding at whatever part of its body she could reach. "How – _dare_ – you! Get away from her, y-" Her voice devolved into a strangled choking noise as a pair of skeletal grey hands closed around her neck. Homura saw her feet kicking feebly at the air as it lifted her small body off the ground… four of the monks pounced on her, burying her in the folds of their robes. All Homura could see of her now was the vague outlines of her body, struggling underneath constricting layers of red cloth… The pipe slammed down on her a third time, and she could see no more.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Kagami let go of Tsukasa, took a step back, and stared at her, flabbergasted. In the back of her mind, she wondered if now would be a good time to just give up and faint. Tsukasa and Miyuki together for the last five weeks was one thing, but _this?_ "You _knew?__!_"

Tsukasa looked down at her bare feet and wriggled her toes. "Not at first," she said, turning pink. "I was sure I was imagining it at first. I saw little glimpses here and there, just out of the corner of my eye… then I thought I must be going crazy, because I started seeing it more and more, and it was always watching me…" Staring back up at Kagami, she continued, "And then I started noticing things. You would glare at empty seats, or at high shelves, like there was something there that you didn't like. A couple of times, I thought I heard you talking out loud when I was sure you were alone…"

Kagami took a few steps back and dropped onto her bed. Standing up wasn't really an option at this point. "You knew. I can't believe you _knew._ Damn him, he was supposed to stay out of sight…!"

"So what's really going on, _onee-chan_?" The slightest bit of hurt wavered in Tsukasa's voice. "What aren't you telling me?"

Kagami's shoulders started to sag. She almost started to apologize, but then… "Wait a minute, hold on." Her eyes narrowed. "_You_ don't get to be upset about keeping secrets, Tsukasa. Remember what I just walked in on?"

She should have backed down and let the matter drop then and there, conceding to Kagami's point. To her astonishment, however, she stood her ground, glaring at her sister with as much force as she could summon up. "That's not fair," she said quietly. "We were _always_ going to tell you, we just didn't know the right time. You _lied,_ _onee-chan_. You told me and Kona-chan in the nurse's office that day that there was nothing happening."

Kagami's mouth fell open. "I… that was…" Each argument she came up with to counter that seemed more stupid than the last. "We weren't…" This sudden display of nerve from Tsukasa was rattling her more than she would ever admit; she half-wondered if Miyuki had something to do with it. "Damn it," she sighed. "All right, you're right. That was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. I should have told you right away."

"It's okay, _onee-chan_," said Tsukasa, relaxing a bit. "Same here, I should have told you. We'll work it out later… for now, just tell me: what _is_ that thing, and why is it watching us?"

"I'm not exactly sure what he is myself," she said, shaking her head. "As for why it's watching us, that's a long and very weird story. You're not gonna believe it… hell, I'm not sure I believe parts of it myself."

Clutching her robe tighter around herself, Tsukasa padded over to sit beside her on the bed. "So he _does_ have something to do with Akemi-san. Am I right?"

"Yeah." Kagami sighed and kneaded her brow. "He's sort of-" Kagami was interrupted by a buzzing in her pocket. A voice singing in English filtered faintly through the fabric of her skirt: "_Nobody knows who I really am…_"

Tsukasa blinked. "Is that your ring tone? I thought yours was the opening from _Full Metal Panic_…"

"I changed it a week or so ago. Hold on a second…" Kagami growled in annoyance and fumbled in her pocket. "_I've never felt this empty before_," the phone sang as she checked the caller ID screen: UNKNOWN NUMBER. Puzzled, she flipped it open and put it to her ear. "H-Hello…?"

The voice on the other end was very weak, but recognizable. "_Hi…Hiiragi-san…_"

Her eyes widened. "Homura? H-How did you even know my-"

"_Izumi,_" she interrupted. It sounded as if it was a strenuous effort for her to talk at all. "_Hi-Hiiragi-san, it's… Izumi…_"

Kagami's blood ran cold, and her face turned very pale. "K-Konata…?"

"_Onee-chan_, what's wrong?" Tsukasa put a hand on her knee in concern, but she couldn't feel it.

"_They took her,_" Homura said thickly, barely holding back a sob.

**END OF CHAPTER 14**


	15. Chapter 15: Sinners Must Repent

_*Author's note: Be sure to check out the official STARS ABOVE cover by Hikari-Luv, found here (remove spaces):* : fav .me / d4w1y0y  
><em>

**CHAPTER 15: Sinners Must Repent**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

Kagami's hands went so numb that she could barely keep her grip on her phone. The numbness spread from her fingertips down her arm, over her shoulder and across her chest, billowing through the rest of her body. She desired desperately for this to be just a nightmare, but she knew it was terrible, awful reality, and she couldn't fool herself otherwise. "How?" she whispered.

The voice on the other end spoke slowly. Her words were labored and slurred. "_Izumi… followed me home. Wanted to know… my secret. I was talking with her… when we were ambushed. Wasn't sure… if they were Demons or not… they spoke Japanese, looked human… wasn't ready._" Homura drew a deep breath. "_Caught me off guard. Izumi… tried to fight. They hit me… knocked me unconscious. Took Izumi… don't know where… they were gone when I woke up…"_

Now the numbness vanished, as Kagami's heart gave a great heave downward into her stomach. Something coursed through her veins… not a normal hot rush of anger, but something that was both boiling and bitterly cold at once. _It's her fault_. That thought hissed at her like a serpent as it burned into her mind. _It's Homura's fault. _Darkness swelled within her, icy and festering rage. _She acts like one of Konata's stupid anime characters; of course she would follow her. It's because of her that Konata got dragged into this… It's because of her…_ Trembling with the force of repressing that cold fury, she opened her mouth to explode at Homura, blame her for everything…

"_Onee-chan?_" Tsukasa put her hand on her sister's knee again, hesitantly. "What's wrong? What happened to Kona-chan?"

That voice brought her back from the brink. Kagami took a deep breath and felt the strange, cold darkness sink back down and ebb away inside her. Goosebumps stood out on her arms… she had never felt like that before, ever. _What the hell… what _was _that?_

"_Hiiragi-san? Hiiragi-san, are you… still there?_"

"I'm here," she said over a fresh outbreak of shivers. "Konata's in trouble," she explained to Tsukasa, whose eyes widened with horror. "I can't tell you any more than that right now, sorry…" Back to the phone, she said simply, "I'm coming. Wait for me." She expected Homura to protest, to tell her it was too dangerous and that she should stay out of it. Kagami steeled herself to argue…

"_I know,_" said Homura. "_Bring Kyubey with you._" _Click._

She decided to be shocked later. Her mind was already buzzing, forming a plan even as she clicked the phone closed.

"Trouble…?" Laying her other hand on her knee, Tsukasa's words grew frantic. "_Onee-chan_, you've gotta tell me! Is this something to do with-"

"I can't," said Kagami, looking her in the eyes as she took her hands. "I'm sorry, Tsukasa, I know how scary this is, but right now there's no time, Konata needs us. I'll explain everything as best I can when I get back…"

Far from reassuring her, that drove Tsukasa further into a panic. Her hands tightened around Kagami's. "Get back from _where?_"

"I don't know yet," she admitted, "but I know someone who might." With a feeling of dread as if she was loosing Pandora's box upon the world, she spoke out loud. "Kyubey, get in here!"

The response was immediate; he appeared in his usual spot on the windowsill to the accompaniment of Tsukasa's squeak of surprise, and tilted his head to the side. _You called?_

"I-i-i-i-it talked…" stammered Tsukasa. "I heard it in my head…!" She clapped her hands to both sides of her head, as if she was afraid her brain would leak out her ears.

"Yeah, he talks," said Kagami as she stood up from the bed. "Trust me, you're gonna wish he didn't. Look, you," she said to Kyubey, staring him right in his beady little red eyes. "I know Homura told you to watch us, to keep us out of trouble. I'm telling you that as of right now _I don't give a damn._ You're coming with me, you're helping me find Homura, and we're getting my best friend back." She hauled him from the windowsill and dropped him onto her shoulder. "Is that clear?"

_I can't help but question the logic that led to that decision, but yes, it's clear,_ said Kyubey, with that sense of unflappable calm she found so very annoying.

"Good," she said. "Then let's go."

Tsukasa was still gaping at the little white creature, her hands twitching as if she couldn't decide whether to reach out and try to pet it or not. "He… he's almost cute… but… _Onee-chan, _come back!"

Kagami was already out the door. She bounded down the stairs three at a time, rounded the corner, and dove straight for her equipment bag, tearing open the zipper. It only took a moment's search to find what she needed: a long, thin bundle wrapped in white cloth and tied with cords. Pulling it free, she stood up and poked her foot into one of her shoes.

"Wait! Kagami, please wait!" Tsukasa had caught up with her; she was panting with exertion. "What… am I gonna tell… Mom and Dad…?"

Kagami pitied her, she truly did, but there just wasn't _time…_ "Tell them I had a late practice. Tell them I'm sleeping over at Konata's. Tell them _anything_, just don't tell them the truth… they might be able to handle you and Miyuki, but they can't handle this. Tsukasa, I promise, I'll explain when I get back, but we've got to go, now!" Throwing open the door, she ran out into the dusk.

_Good bye, Tsukasa,_ said the white creature hanging on to her shoulder.

Tsukasa stared after them, bewildered. After a few long minutes of silence, she waved, though her sister and her strange little companion were long out of sight. "Bye, _onee-chan_," she whispered. "Good luck…"

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Satte, Saitama<strong>

**30 Minutes Later**

_Take a left here. So, if I may ask…_

"Go right ahead."

_Another right, we're getting close. What exactly _is_ your plan?_

"Simple," Kagami said between breaths. "We get Homura, find whatever it was that took Konata, and stomp its ass into the pavement."

Kyubey blinked. _I don't understand. Why would a demon have an equid at all, let alone a female one?_

She rapped him sharply on the head with her knuckles. "It's a figure of speech, you little twit…"

_Human idioms are incredibly bizarre_, he said with a wince. It didn't actually hurt, but he had learned from experience that humans expected such a reaction when striking another creature, and to not do so tended to disturb them for some reason.

Kagami's soles beat a steady rhythm against the pavement. One advantage to her weeks of training was becoming apparent: she could run far longer than before without growing tired, and the steady, measured breathing she used during kendo practice helped boost her endurance even more; she was pleased with herself for that. On the other hand, she was starting to regret not taking the time to put on a more comfortable pair of shoes before leaving… standard-issue school Oxfords were _not_ the proper footwear for running long distances on sidewalks, not by a long shot.

_Stop_, said Kyubey suddenly, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

Kagami stopped so suddenly that she half-expected to find a skid mark on the walk behind her when she turned around. "Here?" She wiped her face with a handkerchief and looked around… this appeared to be just another street, with an alley leading off to the side. "What's here?"

_Look_, said Kyubey, hopping down from his perch. He padded into the street and pointed at something with his front paw. There was a huge, ugly, red-black stain on the asphalt-

"Oh please, no," whispered Kagami. "Tell me that's not from Konata…"

_It's not. The smell is different._

Letting out her breath, she allowed herself the slightest bit of relief. Some part of her wondered how Kyubey could possibly tell without any visible nose, but she wasn't going to question that now. "Thank God. Whose blood _is_ it, then?"

_I believe Homura was fighting here._ Kyubey peered closer. _Interesting._

"What? What's interesting?"

_Fragments of bone. This was quite a battle._

A powerful urge to punt Kyubey over the nearest fence surged through Kagami's body, but she suppressed it. "You think that's _interesting?_ Homura could be bleeding to death somewhere, you little-"

_Not likely,_ he interrupted, placid as ever. _Puellae Magi have incredibly advanced healing abilities, and the mere fact that I can sense her presence tells me that she's alive and conscious. There's no need to worry. _With just the smallest hint of smugness, he added, _I take good care of my contracts._

Kagami shuddered, trying not to think of the implications of that statement. "So, she was here. Where did she go?"

_The blood trail leads this way_, said Kyubey, keeping his eyes on it as he followed.

That wasn't much comfort. Kagami followed after him, growing ever more concerned… the dried blood trail wasn't a series of puddles, it was one long smear, irregular in places, as if Homura had struggled to drag herself to the sidewalk. What had _happened_ here?

_There,_ said Kyubey finally. _Homura, are you injured?_

The Puella Magi didn't answer. She was slumped against a lamppost, illuminated by its halo of fluorescent light, her head bowed, her left hand resting in her lap. Her other arm hung limply by her side. She wasn't moving…

"_Homura…!_" Ignoring the protests of her feet, Kagami ran to her side and knelt to shake her shoulder. "Homura, answer me!"

She twitched. "You're here," Homura whispered weakly. "Hiiragi-san, I'm sorry… I'm so sorry. This was my fault…"

The memory of what she had almost said to Homura over the phone flashed unbidden through Kagami's mind. "It's not…" She swallowed and put an arm around her. "Well, yeah, it _is_ your fault, but that's not important right now. Come on, get up. We're gonna rescue her, and make the Demons pay."

"Yes." Homura nodded and took a breath to compose herself as she rose to her feet. "Yes, we are." For just an instant, Kagami saw something strange: the gemstone attached to her wrist had been dull and blackened inside, she was sure of it, but now it was clear and brilliant purple again.

"Can you walk?" asked Kagami, dismissing what had happened to the gem as a trick of the light. "Do you need help?"

"I'll be all right in a moment, thank you."

It took about three minutes for her to regain a steady footing, but when she did, there was no trace of weakness or tiredness. She strode along with Kagami wearing her familiar stoic expression, her eyes on her gemstone.

"So…" Kagami tread cautiously around the question. "How come you're not sending me home to keep me safe this time? We _are_ heading after a Demon, you know."

"This time is different," said Homura, her eyes flickering up at her for a moment. "Someone you love is in danger because of me. It's your right, your duty to fight for her safety. I can't deny you that right."

"I'm pretty sure you _can_, but I appreciate it anyway." Kagami shrugged, adjusting the long thin bundle which hung on a strap across her back. "Thank you, Homura."

Homura merely nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Minutes Later<strong>

_Homura?_ said Kyubey as they walked in silence. _We need to talk. Privately._

_ Go ahead._ The response was curt and dismissive. It was easy to tell that she was back to her usual self for now. However, her present state wasn't the issue…

_ You were close,_ he said, as blunt as ever.

_Close to what?_

_Haven't I told you before not to feign ignorance with me? You may be able to keep some secrets from me, Homura, but I know what I saw. Your Soul Gem was black… you were close to fading._

_And?_

_You know we can't let that happen,_ said Kyubey. _You are the only Puella Magi in this world. If you die or fade, I'll have no choice but to start making contracts._

_I know._

_I also know that you have at least one Curse Seed left inside your shield_, he continued. _You deliberately chose not to use it. Why?_

_You wouldn't understand,_ she said simply.

Kyubey heaved a mental sigh. _You're as closed off as ever. Aren't you even wondering _how_ your Soul Gem cleared itself?_

_No. She's here and she doesn't hate me, so I can still fight. That's all that matters. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate._

The mental connection shut off, and he felt something akin to what the humans called disappointment. True, his theory on what was happening was currently only that, a theory. Still, he wanted Homura to hear it… he was certain she would find it interesting.

* * *

><p><strong>Ten Minutes Later<strong>

"Uh, Homura?"

"Hmm."

"Homura, I think we're not in Satte anymore…"

The fog had gradually built around them, growing thicker and thicker. Rather than trying to avoid it, the three of them had walked right into it, and watched as the Lair resolved around them.

The first thing Kagami felt was the heat… it was a damp, earthy heat that made her clothes stick to her body even before the Lair finished forming, quite unlike the dry summer evening they had just left. Soon after the heat came the _smell…_ she recoiled in disgust as it hit her all at once like a battering ram, a stench so powerful that at any other time it would have sent her to her knees with nausea. That stench at least partly contributed to the oppressive humidity… she could clearly make out old coffee grounds and tea leaves, rotting fruit, decomposing paper, all the foul odors of a compost heap mixed together. "Oh God," she choked, waving a hand over her face. "What _is_ this thing? This is where it _lives?_"

"This is wrong," said Homura quietly, frowning at her Soul Gem, completely unconcerned with the smell. "They definitely came through here, but the signatures of the monks and this Lair don't match. That should be impossible." She reached into her shield and withdrew the tablet from her pocketspace. Tapping buttons and sliding her finger across the screen, she brought up the scanning program. Her violet eyes widened with realization. "It's a different Demon…"

Kagami stared at her. "It's _what?_"

"We're in the Lair of another Demon. They led us through here on purpose," said Homura. "They _are_ getting smarter…"

"That's just great," moaned Kagami. "Bad enough they're trying to kill us, now they have to be _smart_ about it."

A hand grasped her shoulder and squeezed tight. "Hiiragi-san, this is serious. Listen to me: if you see something that looks like… like me, but different…"

"Different how?"

Homura swallowed. "She looks just like me, only with red-framed glasses and twin braids. She'll be wearing a school uniform, a long-sleeved winter one, with a red bow and a plaid skirt."

That was hard for Kagami to picture. "O-Okay… what about her?"

For the first time since that day on the school roof, Homura sounded worried. "Hiiragi-san, if you see that other me, whatever you do, _don't listen to her._ Please, promise me that… Just attack her on sight."

Kagami shivered. If this thing was enough to make _Homura_ concerned… "I promise."

"Thank you," said Homura, visibly relaxing. "I almost hope this is her Lair…" Then her voice hardened again. "I need to pay her back."

"Um." Kagami's voice came out higher than usual. "I… I don't think it is…"

The reason she said this was because she had just seen something move. It was difficult to tell; between the pattering rain of thin sleet from the grey sky above and the noxious steam rising from the enormous piles of rotting trash that festooned the Lair, everything beyond twenty meters of them was obscured from sight. But something behind one of those enormous piles had just moved, and it was almost the size of one…

Homura stepped forward, her foot sinking into a puddle of dirty slush. She shoved the tablet back into pocketspace and retrieved her assault rifle… a normal pistol would probably do nothing against something that size.

Swallowing audibly and trying to breathe through her mouth to keep from gagging, Kagami reached behind her back. _This is it. Easy, Kagami… stay calm. Just like Ibuki-_sensei_ says: burning passion with cool head is the kendo state of mind…_ Tugging at one of the cords that secured her bundle, she let the cloth covering it fall away to reveal a wooden blade, a _bokken_ made of white oak, with her name carved close to the hilt. _Just stay calm. Even if it's big, we can still do some damage… I hope…_

_Be careful, girls,_ said Kyubey down by their feet as he padded carefully through the slush to find a place to hide. _We don't know what-_

Even his mental voice was drowned out by the terrible roar from somewhere in the steam, a roar that shook the entire lair, collapsing a few mountains of trash on the fringes of their vision. Kagami shrieked; she thought it was the howling of some massive animal at first, until she realized that the roar contained speech, a single word, delivered in an impossibly deep, crazed snarl…

"_OBIC._"

"Back-to-back," said Homura once the echoes of that roar had stopped ringing in their ears. "We'll turn in a circle to try and spot it… once it makes its move, the first one to see it calls for the attack. Understood?"

"Uh huh," Kagami said weakly.

They turned; their feet made squelching noises on the wet ground, sinking slightly as they moved into things that Kagami didn't want to think about. She kept her eyes firmly upward, scanning the dump for any sign of movement, hands tight around the hilt of her _bokken._ _Stay calm. Steady breathing. Burning passion, cool head…_

She saw it. She knew she was supposed to call for the attack out loud, but she couldn't manage it… all she let out was a sort of high squeak, "_There._"

Homura looked over her shoulder. The Demon was crouched near the peak of one of the tallest mountains, its dark-haired body camouflaged well with the rotting piles of junk… Already in its second stage, it was in the form of a dog roughly the size of an elephant, thin and bony to the point of cruelty, its ribs clearly visible through its thin, wet, stringy coat. Its stomach distended grotesquely, a round protrusion of bare, scarred, gray skin. The dog had three large, bloodshot, jaundiced eyes, all staring directly at them… As they watched, its lips pulled back to reveal sickly pale gums and a mess of yellowed, broken teeth. A thread of spittle fell from its jowls, dangling in the stale air.

"Ho-Homura?" whispered Kagami. "It's _looking_ at us…"

"I know," she whispered back. "Stay calm. Perhaps if we start turning again, it won't know that we see it... but keep your eyes on it."

"Mmm-hmm…" She bit her lip and nodded, fighting to keep her composure; the "burning passion, cool head" mantra wasn't working. Then, rather abruptly, she remembered that one of these things had taken her best friend... and while it didn't exactly keep her cool, it gave her something to focus on, and that was enough. She breathed deep through her mouth, willing her anger to remain at a low smolder, within her control. Kagami allowed herself to relax the tiniest bit, keeping her stance, but remaining loose enough to spring out of it at a moment's notice.

Abandoning stealth entirely, the Demon snarled at them aloud. "_Obic,_" it repeated, softer than before, but no less vicious. Then it spoke again, and to their astonishment, both girls heard it clearly… for it was speaking human language: "_Meat. I… hunger…_"

"_Homura!_"

"I heard it too. Don't panic. Don't panic…"

"_I hunger,_" it said once more… the voice was very rough and guttural, appropriately animal-like for its appearance, but perfectly understandable. "_I hunger, I starve… always hunger… I…"_ With that it opened its jaws and pounced off the mountain of trash, spreading its massive paws wide…

"_Go!_" Homura screamed.

Kagami ran; from the corner of her eye she saw Homura blink out of sight. The dog's paws slammed into the spot where they had stood, scattering garbage and slush everywhere. It spun in a circle, searching for its vanished prey, its three eyes rolling insanely… when it caught sight of Kagami, it screamed horribly, "_HUNGERRRR!_" and pounced again…

Its swollen stomach burst in midair. Homura was now standing right beneath it, aiming her smoking rifle upward. A hideous waterfall of smoking, foul-smelling green ichor erupted from the dog's ruptured stomach cavity, cascading over her. The Demon's jump was thrown off by its sudden change in weight; it crashed into the side of one of the towering piles, which toppled over and buried it in an avalanche of filth.

"Homura! _Homura!_" Kagami screeched to a halt, turned on her heel, and ran back in the other direction. She thought she had dimly heard Homura cry out in surprise as the thing's stomach contents fell on her… "Hang on, I'm coming!"

She found Homura on her back in the slush, moaning in disgust. The Puella Magi was coated almost head to toe in a layer of the green fluid, which was congealing rapidly… when she attempted to sit up, thick strands of it clung to her hair and skin and kept her down. "Hiiragi-san…"

Kagami dropped down next to her and began pulling at her arm, trying to pry her loose. "Oh _God, _this is gross! Tell me it's not always like this!" The fluid was gummy and tacky, like rubber cement… touching it turned her stomach. _Don't think about it, just get her loose!_

"Not usually," Homura admitted. "I wasn't expecting that."

"At least you killed it… Ugh, it's all over the place! Can you move at all?"

"Hiiragi-san…?" Homura thrashed in the solidifying puddle, to no avail; it was like being stuck to flypaper.

"No, wait, stay still! Maybe I can cut you loose with the _bokken…_"

"Hiiragi-san, _it's still alive!_"

"Wh-what?" Kagami looked over her shoulder.

The dog was pulling itself from the remains of the mountain, snapping its jaws and madder than ever. "_Hunger, I hungerrrr…!_" it howled, trying to free its back legs... what they could see of its stomach was knitting itself back together, the skin squirming sickeningly as it grew. Kagami watched in fascinated horror… and then she realized, and only her terror kept her from being sick. What was squirming wasn't skin.

"Maggots," said Homura, coming to the same realization. "Its Spawn are maggots that live inside it…"

The Demon gave a hard yank to its remaining buried leg. What was left of the mountain toppled over and slid out of sight. It growled, shook itself, and then stared directly at Kagami and Homura. Its three eyes narrowed into slits…

Kagami didn't think. There wasn't time to think. She stood up and shouted "_Heeeey!_" at the top of her lungs, then ran for it, away from Homura, waving her _bokken_ in the air. _It's got to work, it's got to…_

It worked. The dog screamed and tore after her, all four paws scrabbling madly at the filthy ground, kicking up snow and pieces of refuse. A long black tongue lolled out of its mouth as it pursued her, its eyes crazed with glee.

* * *

><p>"Hiiragi, <em>no!<em>" Homura flexed her muscles, straining against the glue-like substance that cemented her to the spot. Somehow, she had to pull free, there was no way Kagami could fight this thing on her own. _No. No, no, no…_ She felt something move on her leg. _Oh, what _now? she thought in exasperation as she looked down.

It was a maggot, a small, crawling white thing, like an ordinary one but ten times the size. Repulsed, she struggled harder, trying to throw it off, but it clung to the fabric of her stocking. Very slowly it inched forward…

Homura cursed. Her left hand was mostly uncovered by the foul ooze; she didn't do this often, as it was barely powerful enough to expend magic on it, but there was no other choice. Firmly bound, unable to reach her shield or her weapons, it was either this or be fed on. She clenched her fist and shot a small bolt of energy from her Soul Gem. It struck the Spawn and burst it apart, its innards soaking through the fabric.

Only allowing herself a second of relief, Homura resumed her struggling. Perhaps if she wriggled enough, the strands holding her down would weaken. She set about trying it… and in the course of this, she caught side of an advancing tide of maggots, hundreds of them, if not thousands, all crawling toward her…

_Oh no._

* * *

><p>Kagami cut a zig-zag pattern through the maze of garbage, running as fast as her aching legs could manage. Her plan was working, for the moment; the dog was too distracted by her to focus on the helpless Homura. <em>Please hang on,<em> she thought desperately. _Just hang on long enough for me to think of something…_

The dog pursued her relentlessly, dodging around or sometimes plowing straight through the mountains of trash, occasionally letting out another scream in that awful, half-human voice, always "Hunger", or "Starve", or something similar. It didn't seem to get tired, that was one considerable advantage it had over her.

_Can't keep running forever. I have to think of something._ An idea struck her, a wild one, but it was better than nothing. She skidded to a stop, sending a small wave of half-frozen water sluicing off to her side, then turned around and faced the Demon, tightening her grip on the _bokken's _hilt.

If it knew she was up to something, it didn't care. The dog continued galloping forward, smashing through all in its way, its jaws slavering. The distance between them closed: thirty meters, then twenty, then fifteen…

_Now!_ At ten meters away, she started running again, this time directly toward it. She thought wildly of those old American cartoons where the matador and the bull rushed at each other… or maybe it was more like a duel in a samurai movie, she didn't care. All that mattered was making this work.

When it was close enough for her to smell its fetid breath, she veered off to the side just slightly. Pouring all her energy into this one attack, she thrust her _bokken_ out to one side as she charged forward and screamed a _kiai_ that Ibuki-_sensei_ would have been proud of. _"DO!"_

It shouldn't have worked, but perhaps it was the physics of the Lair, or perhaps it was simply an extraordinarily lucky strike. The wooden sword tore the Demon's side as she passed, slicing into it cleanly from front hip to back before withdrawing from its body. The Demon screamed in pain, stumbled over, and crashed into a mound of dirty snow, scattering droplets everywhere.

Kagami didn't look back. She kept running, back to where Homura lay, praying that she had bought them both some time.

* * *

><p>Homura thought she had grown immune to Demons. She had seen so many horrible things in countless Lairs that she thought it was impossible to truly disturb or frighten her. Occasionally, after the fact, she would reflect on a battle and shudder, but that was all… until now.<p>

Her well-practiced composure wore dangerously thin as she felt the maggot Spawn crawling all over her, searching for bare flesh so they could start feeding. Not just on her legs now, but on her chest, her arms, her neck, her face… only the paper-thin, skintight barrier of energy she had projected over her body kept them from feasting. There was nothing else she could do; the puddle of ooze had fully solidified, and struggling more would do nothing but expend her energy faster. The barrier was holding for now, but in order to keep it active as long as possible, it had to be thin, and it had to be tight, and she couldn't even use her "pain switch". So it was that she could feel the many squirming bodies, even through its protective energy. She couldn't think of a time in recent memory when she had more wanted to scream…

"Homura!"

The voice gave her back a spark of hope. Had she really done it? She was afraid to open her mouth. If one of the Spawn managed to crawl inside… Homura shivered with revulsion. _Hiiragi-san_, she sent to her, hoping Kyubey was near enough to serve as a telepathic beacon.

Kagami let out the scream of disgust that she was holding back. "Homura… God, what should I do? They're all over…"

_Don't worry about me, I'm shielded. Do whatever you can to get them off!_

"R-Right!" She only hesitated long enough for Homura to throw the "pain switch"… then she was swinging with wild abandon, smashing Spawn with every blow. When that was done, she swatted the remaining ones off Homura's face, and knelt down next to her. "Are you okay? I… I hope I didn't hurt you…"

Homura sucked in a relieved breath. "The Spawn… would have done worse…"

Kagami blanched. "Don't even go there. Let's just get you loose… it's pretty dried up now, maybe I can crack it."

"It's worth a try," said Homura, with the faintest of smiles.

"I'll just use the hilt, okay?" She turned the sword upside down and raised it over her head…

_Whack. _The blow made a network of cracks in the hardened fluid around Homura's right arm. _Whack._ The second shattered it entirely… a third blow freed her left arm in short order. Homura flexed her stiff hand and fingers gratefully, then turned back to her. "It's working, Hi-"

An enormous body loomed over them. Kagami had already turned around, fumbling with the _bokken_ as its jaws opened impossibly wide, unhinging like those of a snake. She raised her arms for an overhead strike… and the long black tongue shot from its mouth, curled around her waist, and pulled her into the cavernous maw.

It took less than three seconds. The Demon's jaws snapped closed; it tilted its head back, and the squirming bulge slid down its throat and into its stomach, out of sight. Lowering its head once again, it fixed Homura with its three crazed eyes and snarled… "_Still… I hungerrrr…_"

Homura's heart stopped beating for an instant. "No." It wasn't possible, it couldn't end like this. She had laid there, helpless and stupefied with shock, while Kagami was lost, again. It was over, just like that. One of the focal points was gone; everything was doomed. "No."

She trembled uncontrollably. The Demon's hot breath was upon her, blowing back her hair. It would take its time, she knew. It was intelligent enough to know who and what she was. It would devour her slowly, saving her Soul Gem for last. "No."

Faces flashed before her eyes, of others who had died in battle, others who died instead of her, taking her place. Sayaka, who couldn't escape her tragic end, even in the new world. Kyoko, dying once by the hand of her _sempai_, and again by a cruel twist of fate at the moment of victory. Mami, struck by Walpurgis, toppling lifelessly from a shot from a bow, her mangled body falling from the remains of a Witch, her blank golden eyes fading out as her anguished lover struck her Soul Gem. The other Kagami, losing herself to the Demon born from her despair. And of course, there was _her…_

She swallowed. Strangely, her mind travelled back from _her_ to Mami… Mami had died like this, once. Homura hadn't seen it happen herself, but she didn't have to. The images of what was left were burned into her mind… she would never be able to forget them. Mami had died like this, once…

_No,_ she thought. _I won't die like that. If it's really over, if I have to go…_ Still trembling, Homura reached for her shield as the jaws drew closer, slowly opening to take the first bite from her flesh. _I'll at least take part of this monster with me. _Drawing her faithful Desert Eagle from her pocketspace, she slowly raised it up, pointing it into the mouth. She raised her left hand as well, opening it wide as she pressed the barrel to her Soul Gem. It would work; the gun was more than powerful enough to propel a bullet through her gem, out the other side of her palm, and into what passed for the dog's brain. If it didn't kill the Demon outright, it would at least end her life before the torture began. Her eyes filled with tears… the horrible mouth would be the last thing she ever saw, but she could at least give her final thoughts to the memories of the two people she loved. _Kagami,_ she thought as her finger tightened on the trigger. _Madoka…_

* * *

><p>Hot, wet, slimy flesh expanded and contracted all around her. Kagami wanted to scream, but she knew that it would be far worse if she opened her mouth. She could already feel the Spawn advancing on her, crawling on her skin… A dozen toothless mouths latched onto her flesh. That awful, burning, prickling sensation… she remembered it from the other Demon's lair, from the hands… They were feeding on her Heart.<p>

_Homura!_ Her mind howled with panic. _Tsukasa, Konata, Mom, Dad, _anybody! _Somebody help me…!_

Another mouth clamped down on her hand. The hand that still held her _bokken…_

* * *

><p>"<em>Urf?<em>" The Demon made a confused noise as it paused. Something had just poked out of its stomach.

A _kiai_ came from inside its body as it split open in an explosion of ooze, shredded Spawn, and orange blood. Whatever magic it was that allowed it to regenerate its body before, it was clear that it was only effective against wounds delivered from the outside… the Demon could do nothing against something attacking its body from within. The _bokken_ carved a swift, vicious circle, separating the upper half of the dog from the lower half. It stuck again and again, making pinholes and deep slashes in the Demon's flesh as it howled in agony, thrashing uselessly in the throes of death.

Finally, with great effort, the upper half of the Demon was thrown off, and Kagami stood up straight, coughing and sputtering and soaked to the skin, hacking at what little was left as the legs buckled and collapsed underneath it. As it crashed to the bloody ground, she stumbled, kicking frantically to extricate herself. When at last she pulled free, she let out a huge shudder and looked over at Homura, still lying there, pinned under the remains of the dog's lower jaw… Kagami crawled forward, weak and exhausted, up to Homura's side, and croaked: "You… okay?"

When Kyubey found them several minutes later, he was puzzled to find them both embracing each other. His research indicated that humans generally did this when they were happy, or when one wished to comfort another… so why were they both crying?

* * *

><p><strong>Forty Minutes Later<strong>

"I damn well hope Konata's awake whenever we find her," said Kagami. "If she's been sleeping the whole time we've been sloshing through trash and Demon guts…"

Cleanup and recovery had been slow, but not an altogether unpleasant process. Once the Lair collapsed and the Curse Seed was safely stowed inside Homura's shield , Kagami promptly headed for the nearest gutter and threw up. To Homura's credit, she stayed by her side the entire time, gently rubbing her back and whispering words of comfort to her, and when that was over, she held her until the shaking stopped. Kyubey watched with interest for part of this… Homura actually sang to her, something he had never heard before. It was not a song_ per se_, as there were no words and only the vaguest suggestion of a melody; she merely hummed one note after another. It helped regardless.

From there, at Kagami's insistence, they went to the nearest public bath, sneaking inside via a creative application of Homura's time-stop power. Kyubey didn't see that part; Homura refused point-blank to let him anywhere near them once they were inside. She emerged with Kagami some minutes later, their bodies refreshed, their clothes mended and cleaned by a useful spell Mami had taught her once.

Now they were back on the trail, with both girls trying desperately to put their last battle out of their minds for now, focusing purely on finding Konata. There would be time to be traumatized later.

Homura looked over at her. "You think she's-"

"She has to be," said Kagami firmly. "She just has to."

_There, to the left,_ said Kyubey, extending his paw. Up ahead, an empty plot of land slated for development seemed to have vanished into a sudden fog bank. _Homura?_

She was already pulling out the tablet. "I'm checking now." Once more her fingers flew over the screen. She nodded. "The signatures match. Are you ready, Hiiragi-san?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." Kagami drew her _bokken_ and nodded back.

Together they forged forward, hand in hand.

* * *

><p><strong>The Sixth's Lair<strong>

This Lair assaulted them with a very different sort of heat, the peculiar kind of very dry, smoky heat of a raging fire. The entire landscape was composed of black volcanic rock, with throbbing red-orange veins spread through it. A huge, spired building loomed on the smoldering red horizon, the only deviation from the endless wastes. Low, persistent hissing filled the air… Kagami was reminded of gas leaking.

"The signatures lead to there," said Homura, raising her voice slightly to be heard over the sound.

"Of course they do," Kagami grumbled, gripping her hilt tighter. "Why _wouldn't _they live in the creepy house… mansion… whatever?"

When they came close, they found that it was neither a house nor a mansion. It was a black stone cathedral, resembling the one Kagami and Tsukasa often sang carols in at Christmas. Composed of the same black igneous rock as the rest of the place, bristling with stone steeples jutting out of its walls at random angles, it had an enormous pair of bright red iron doors barring its entrance, and colorful stained glass windows that depicted oddly tranquil scenes. Christian saints blessing small children, animals frolicking in meadows filled with flowers, that sort of thing; the incongruity of those scenes with the rest of the Lair was more disturbing than either girl wanted to admit. Slowly they approached the great iron doors, expecting an attack at any moment… it never came.

"Should we knock?" asked Kagami half-seriously. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing she had done tonight.

_I suggest we slip in quietly,_ said Kyubey, now perched on Homura's shoulder. _Homura?_

"I agree. Kagami, take my hand."

Kagami nodded and did so. Homura raised her shield arm… and for the second time that night, the world grew deathly silent and faded into grayscale, freezing between one instant and the next. Still treading carefully though nothing was around to see them, they crept up to one of the doors and pushed… it swung open easily at their touch.

"What the _hell…_"

It was an unintentional description, but accurate. The interior of the cathedral was even more warped than the exterior. The same stained glass windows that depicted pastoral scenes on the outside portrayed sickening tableaus of violence and torture on the inside… both girls had to avert their eyes. A high, arched ceiling loomed far over their heads, supported by great pillars of living rock crystal. The same material formed rows of pews in haphazard rows. They threaded their way between them, approaching the back of the building…

In an alcove at the very back, beneath a stained glass window that depicted nothing but a single burning eye, the six red-clad monks stood around a black stone altar, surrounded by candles. Their overlong arms were raised, their hands joined in a mockery of prayer, and all looked down at the altar… where there lay a very small humanoid figure, swaddled tightly in red cloth like a mummy.

"_Konata,_" whispered Kagami. "That's got to be her… I say we kill the Demons, grab her, and get the hell out of here."

"I agree," said Homura.

_It's strange to see identical Demons working together, though,_ Kyubey said, tilting his head.

"Who _cares_ if it's strange? Let's just put bullets in their heads."

Homura nodded, took careful aim, and fired. Six point-blank shots froze in midair the moment they left her magic field; the Demons would have no time to react. "Be ready," she said to Kagami. "I'm going to restart time in ten seconds."

"Oh, I'm ready." Kagami steeled herself and took an offensive stance, just in case there were any more nasty surprises in here.

"Five… four… three… two… one." Color returned to the world, the Doppler effect kicked in, and six bullets buried themselves in the hoods of the monks. Their raspy voices were cut off in mid-chant, devolving into screams as they fell backward. The hissing noise grew louder…

Kagami broke for it and ran for the altar. The mummified figure was squirming violently in her bonds, rolling back and forth… _She's alive, thank heaven…_ and letting out muffled sounds in a familiar voice… "_Konata! Hang on, I'm almost there!_"

Five steps from the altar, the red cloth parted, and Konata sat bolt upright. She drew in a long, shuddering breath, and turned to face Kagami…

"Konata?" Kagami stopped, her grip on the sword faltering.

Konata stared out at her from the shadows of the red cloth, still draped over her head… a hood. Even in the dim light, Kagami could see that her skin was a pallid, ashen gray, and her normally bright green eyes were dull and glazed. A blazing orange mark flared to life on her forehead as Konata swung her legs over the side of the altar, dropping to the floor. One small arm raised up, clad in a loose red sleeve, and she pointed at Kagami… "_Sinners… must repent,_" she said, her voice horrible and rasping, twisted almost beyond recognition.

**END OF CHAPTER 15**


	16. Chapter 16: That Can't Be True

**CHAPTER 16: That Can't Be True**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

"Kagami, Tsukasa, we're home!" Laden with bags of groceries, Miki Hiiragi balanced precariously on one leg, trying to push the front door closed with her foot. She tilted wildly, losing her balance.

"Careful!" Her husband's hand steadied her. Tadao was carrying his own bags, but he had shifted a few underneath his arm to catch her. "You always do too much. Let me have a few of those before you fall."

Gratefully, she passed two of them to him with a smile. "Thank you, Tadao." Grocery shopping for a family of six was an ordeal enough without sustaining injuries bringing it all in; a twisted ankle or the like was the last thing the Hiiragis needed. Miki looked up at the stairwell and raised her eyebrows, a little surprised that there had been no reply from the twins yet. "Kagami, Tsukasa? Could you two come help bring in the bags, please?"

Bedsprings creaked above them, and footsteps padded rapidly across the floor. A pink and lavender blur raced down the stairs three at a time, almost tripping over the last few, and shot across the room, straight into Miki's bosom as if attracted by a magnet. She almost dropped the bags again as small arms wrapped around her waist and hugged her tight. "Tsukasa…? Why are you in your pajamas already, it's barely- Tsukasa? Honey, what's wrong?"

"Mama, I-" A tide of words poured out of Tsukasa, caught between sobs and sniffles that rendered them totally unintelligible. "Muh-Mama, _onee-chan_ walked in… and K-K-Konata… n-new transfer student… and-"

She was clinging to her blouse and bawling just as she had when she was a toddler, and Miki felt an odd wave of nostalgia mingled with her concern. Carefully passing another bag to her bewildered husband, she reached down with her free hand and gently ruffled Tsukasa's hair, her features softening. "Shhh, shhh, it's all right. Whatever it is, it's going to be all right. Slow down and take a breath."

It took several minutes for Tsukasa to calm down enough to speak coherently. She swallowed and looked up at her mother with teary eyes. "I'm suh-sorry, Mama," she said. "I'm just so scared… Kona-chan's in some kind of trouble, and _onee-chan_ went after her… and…" Her grip on Miki's blouse tightened. "And there's something I need to tell you and Dad, something I should have told you before, but I didn't… I'm sorry, Mama..."

Miki blinked, trying to process all this. Her eyes flickered upward at Tadao, who was clearly just as confused. "All… all right," she said hesitantly to Tsukasa. "Whatever the problem is, we'll deal with it together. The important thing is that you're being honest." She softly patted Tsukasa's back and forced herself to smile. "Now, let's start with you. What is it you need to tell us?"

Tsukasa swallowed again. "Y-You should probably sit down…"

* * *

><p><strong>The Sixth's Lair<strong>

"Konata…?" Kagami took a step backward, then another, her hands turning white around the hilt of her _bokken._ "Konata, come on, wake up." This couldn't be happening; it was ridiculous. Konata was playing one of her stupid little games; that had to be what she was seeing…

The familiar face underneath the hood twisted into a scowl. Konata's glassy eyes narrowed, and the burning mark on her forehead shone bright, throwing the gray pallor of her face into horrible relief. "_Sinners must repent,_" she rasped again, advancing forward, keeping her accusing finger trained on Kagami. "_Repent before the eye of God."_

"Konata, this isn't funny!" Her voice rose in panic. The _bokken_ wobbled in her grip. She couldn't fight Konata, she _couldn't…_ "Come on, wake up! I know you're in there!"

_"Sinners must repent."_

"Please," she said softly. Her eyes began to sting. "It's _me_, it's Kagamin… don't you remember me?"

Gunfire erupted from the stone pews in the rear of the cathedral. More monks were streaming into the cathedral from the shadows behind the great black pillars. Homura laid down suppressing fire, forcing them to keep back. Bullets tore into them, shredding holes through their bright red robes and gray flesh, but the monks didn't bleed; they merely crumpled for a minute or two, then they staggered back up again. She felt herself slipping into her cold, detached state of mental readiness as she fired into their ranks. Right now, that coldness she normally hated was a blessing. Whatever they had done to Izumi, she and Kagami could do nothing to help until the odds shifted in their favor. If she stopped long enough to think about what horrors they had visited on her…

_She's been Branded,_ said Kyubey, huddled under a pew and blasé as he ever was. _That's clearly not a normal Brand, though, it's almost like the Demons have infected her…_

_ That shouldn't be possible from just a Brand_, she thought back as she slammed another magazine into her assault rifle. _Influencing a human is one thing, but a physical transformation…_

She heard Kagami moan with despair as Konata's altered voice repeated "_Sinners must repent"_ yet again. Homura felt something stab at her heart… _she_ could be cold and logical under this kind of torment, she was well practiced at it. Kagami was different. Kagami could still feel everything, and had no way of shutting out that horror… "Hiiragi-san!" she called over her shoulder as she ducked behind the pew. "Stay focused, you must keep fighting!"

It took all of Kagami's willpower not to scream at her. "What do you mean, keep fighting? It's Konata, I can't hurt her!" Konata was reaching for something within the long red sleeves of her robes. She held her sword point on her friend, only the adrenaline thundering in her veins keeping her on her feet.

"You don't have a choice," said Homura. "If you don't, you'll lose her forever. It's the only way…"

Red robes flapped like wings as Konata lunged forward with amazing speed. The wrought iron staff she had just drawn from her robes made a harsh ringing sound as it slammed against Kagami's blade.

Kagami shrieked as the blow jangled through her hands and up her arms. Then another blow_…_ her _bokken_ was well-made, but wood of any quality didn't have a chance against iron. It killed her inside to admit it, but Homura was right. If she didn't start fighting back, the _bokken_ would break, and she would be defenseless. She couldn't afford that, and neither could Konata. Taking a deep breath, she pushed back against the staff, staring as defiantly as she could into those glassy green eyes. "Konata, I'm sorry." Taking another step back, she feinted right as the staff swung down a third time. "This is gonna hurt a lot… but you can yell at me for it later. _KOTE!_"

A snarl of pain escaped Konata as the blade's edge stuck her right wrist with a sickening _crack._ Her numb fingers loosed their grip on the staff. When she raised it to swing again, she overbalanced, wobbling in place… the weight was too much for her. The staff fell to the floor with a clamoring racket of iron on stone, and her hand flew to her injured wrist, cradling it as the wound turned an ugly, dark color, standing out against her ghastly gray skin.

"Oh God, Konata!" The sight of that wound made Kagami sick to her stomach. "It's gonna be okay…"

The Brand lit up bright on Konata's forehead. Forgetting about her wrist, she thrust her left hand forward…

The breath left Kagami's lungs as she slammed into the unforgiving stone floor, and her _bokken_ flew from her grasp. Coughing, she scrabbled for its hilt, but her legs wouldn't move. A swath of fabric from Konata's sleeve had darted forward and wound around her ankles. Flailing, Kagami's fingernails scraped against stone, trying to find purchase. "_Homura!_"

"I'm coming!" Another rattling burst of fire from the pews. Homura stood up and blinked out of sight, reappearing between them an instant later.

Konata had retrieved her staff. She moved sluggishly, trying to wield it one-handed without losing equilibrium. She brought it crashing down again, but this time when it fell, it clashed harmlessly against a shimmering violet wall projected from the Puella Magi's shield.

"I won't…" Homura hissed, maintaining the barrier as she pressed forward, "… let you get hurt…"

The recoil of hitting the barrier had thrown Konata's body even further off-balance; the staff was too long and unwieldy for her to use it effectively without both hands.

While she struggled to lift it again, Homura drew a combat knife from her shield and attacked the swath that held Kagami's ankles bound. The fibers were dense and very tough, tougher than they should have been. "Stay still, Hiiragi-san."

"Careful, Homura-chan. I know you're all right with hurting people, but you don't want even _more_ innocent blood on your hands, do you?" The voice came not from the hooded girl, but from behind the altar where they had found her. Homura heard it over the ringing of iron as the staff dropped once more, clashing against the edge of her knife as she raised it to defend herself. There came a strangled gasp of shock from Kagami…

Homura looked over her shoulder and let out a word that boiled with loathing: "_You."_

She had been warned before, but even so, Kagami couldn't suppress that gasp. The girl had simply _appeared_ out of one of the hideous stained-glass windows, stepping out of it as easily as walking through a door. Completely nude, identical to the Puella Magi save for the twin braids and red-rimmed glasses she wore, the other Homura smiled and took position behind the altar. There she spread her arms wide, a sick mockery of a priestess blessing a congregation, basking in the orange light filtering down from the largest of the windows, the one with the single burning eye. "Really, Homura-chan, I'm surprised you haven't shot her yet. What happened to doing anything for your mission, no matter the cost? Could it be that there's still some humanity left inside that empty shell?"

"Oh my God," Kagami croaked. She gaped at the duplicate Homura, unable to tear her eyes away from the Demon's bare skin. She knew she had to get up, had to get back her _bokken_, untie her legs, and continue fighting, but she was frozen. Another hideous monster she could have almost dealt with, but this thing was walking around wearing Homura's face and naked body, and it simply didn't _care._ That apathy frightened her far more than any monster could… Her body wouldn't move.

The duplicate bowed low to her at the sound of her voice. "I beg your pardon," she said, oddly polite. "I will be with you in a moment, after I help deal with this annoyance."

Homura and Konata struggled back and forth, knife against staff, neither giving quarter. "How?" said Homura through gritted teeth, gripping the knife with both hands. Konata's strength was far greater than any human's should be; they were at a virtual stalemate. "How did you change her into a Demon?"

Desideria cackled with sadistic laughter, a sound that sent a shudder of revulsion up and down Kagami's back. Homura's voice laughing was weird enough, but for it to sound like _that_… "A Demon? Kona-chan's not a Demon, silly. My brother Jovanni has given her the Rites of Conversion."

"I don't… understand…" Homura knew she was in a very bad position: kneeling, both arms occupied, Konata behind her, the staff over her head and ready to fall again at any moment, unable to move without exposing Kagami to another attack. She had to stall for time, to try to think of something.

"I think you do, Homura-chan. All those monks you were shooting at without a thought?" Desideria drew out the pause between sentences for as long as possible. "They used to be humans, just like Kona-chan. Now they're all my brother's Spawn…"

Homura's stomach dropped. "If Konata… and the monks… are only Spawn, where's…?"

The incessant hissing that they had heard ever since coming into the Lair built in volume, then rose and fell in odd, short bursts. The sound was so bizarre that it took Homura a moment to realize what it was: laughter.

Kagami screamed as the great burning eye in the stained-glass window blinked, and moved to stare down at them. The hissing laugh was coming from every direction, from the pillars, from the altar, from the pews…

_The Demons aren't the monks,_ thought Homura with sudden clarity, her eyes widening. _The Demon is the _cathedral_… we've been inside it this whole time…!_

Frantically kicking her bound legs, trying to finish what Homura started and tear through the fabric, Kagami thrashed back and forth. Her skin crawled as the Demon's eye stared at them, her voice seemed to have gotten lost somewhere in her throat. _Got to get away. Got to get out of here…_

"Jovanni," said Desideria, turning around to face the eye. "You don't mind if I stay and watch while you prepare the next Rite, do you?"

The Demon spoke in an ear-splitting high, airy whistle, like steam escaping a kettle. "_Stay,_" it said. "_The Rite will begin soon. Come, my flock…_"

Monks appeared from every corner and crevice of the cathedral, their blood-colored robes billowing in the hot, dry air as they fell upon the two girls…

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya<strong>

All Tsukasa could hear aside from her own breathing was the steady _tick-tock_ of the cat-shaped clock in the kitchen. She used to love the sound of that clock; now she dreaded it as each tick echoed in the silence between questions.

"How long have you been doing this with her, Tsukasa?"

"Th-three weeks."

"Three _weeks_?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Tadao…"

"I know, Miki, I know."

_Tick-tock._

"Have you been… careful?"

"Yes, Mama. We're always careful."

"She hasn't…" _Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock_. "She hasn't… _pressured_ you?"

"N-n-no, Papa! She… she wanted to, but she waited until I was… ready."

_Tick-tock, tick-tock._

"Does Yukari-san know?"

"No, Papa."

"We'll need to tell her. She has a right to know."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Miki… what _will_ we tell her? What will we tell _anyone?_ A schoolgirl crush or a date or two is one thing, but…"

"This is far more serious, yes."

_Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock…_

"You're not…"

"Hmm?"

"You're not gonna… say it's _wrong_, are you?"

"Honey, of course not. We're not going to tell you whom you should or shouldn't care about. We just…"

"It's just an awful lot to take in, all at once. And not every family is as… well…"

"Open-minded?"

"Open-minded, yes, thank you. We live in an old district, Tsukasa… many people here are very attached to the traditional ways."

"God, Tadao, what are we going to tell Father?"

"Which one? Yours or mine?"

"_Either_."

"I don't know. We can't worry about that right now… the first thing we need to do is call Izumi-san… what was his name?"  
>"Um, Soujiro, I think."<p>

"Right, Soujiro-san… he needs to know his daughter might be…"

"… in trouble. There's no need to worry him more than that."

"Kona-chan's cousin is a police officer, we could-"

"Thank you, Tsukasa, that's a good idea, they can put out a search. We'll turn all the lights on, and ask them to send a car over…"

"I'll… I'll go upstairs and try to call _onee-chan_ again, see if she's found her… Is that okay?"

_Tick-tock._

"… Go ahead. Your mother and I have a lot that we need to discuss."

"Try to get some rest, honey. We'll talk more about this when everything is back to normal."

Tsukasa choked on that word as she fled the den. _Normal_. Things hadn't been normal for over a month now, and after today, she was doubtful they ever would be again. Anxiety chewed at her thoughts as she climbed the stairs. She wanted… she didn't know what she wanted. Any other day she would go running to talk to Kagami, but Kagami was out somewhere in the night with Akemi and the little white cat-like thing, trying to save Konata from God knew what… She thought about trying to call Miyuki, but strangely, for the first time in five weeks, she didn't think Miyuki would be much of a comfort right now.

Feeling completely miserable, she shut the door to her room and let herself fall onto her bed. Mechanically, she opened her cell phone and dialed Kagami's number, as she had been at regular intervals over the last hour, but once again there was no answer, no relieved voice saying that Konata was fine and everything was going to be all right now.

Tossing the phone away, Tsukasa reached for her favorite stuffed rabbit and hugged her tight. Tonight, Mimi-chan would have to serve as her anchor in the sea of her life that had grown hostile and stormy… all her other anchors were out of reach.

From downstairs, she heard her parents speaking to each other in hushed tones. Snatches of sentences floated up brokenly through the floor: "too young", "keeping secrets", "don't know what's gotten into her"… Whimpering softly, Tsukasa buried her head in her pillow, trying to block their voices out.

* * *

><p><strong>The Sixth's Lair<strong>

"Isn't this wonderful?" purred Desideria, pacing back and forth in front of them, a cat that had cornered her prey. "We're all here together at last, able to enjoy each other's company…"

"Some company," growled Kagami, wriggling in her bonds. Some minutes ago, she had gotten over her shock at the Demon's brazen nudity. She now completely understood the venom she had heard in Homura's voice when the Second appeared; ten minutes in her company, and Kagami wanted to kill her herself. The way she sneered, always mocking, always superior, taking obvious, sadistic enjoyment in the thought of their suffering...

"Really, Kagami-chan," said the Second, leaning very close… far too close. "I thought you'd be delighted to finally be able to talk with one of your children. My brothers weren't very forthcoming, were they?"

"You," spat Kagami, squirming harder, "are _not _my child, you monster!"

She and Homura were back-to-back in one of the stone pews, both of them mummified so tightly in the confining red robes that they could barely breathe. They had been completely overwhelmed by sheer numbers, trussed up and placed in the pew to wait while the Demons prepared for whatever twisted ritual they were planning. A circle of nine monks were gathered behind the altar, chanting in their awful wheezing voices, all of them tall, looming, and identical save for the very small figure that stood among them, joining hands with them and raising her voice with theirs… Kagami couldn't watch.

Homura had stopped struggling some minutes ago; she had quickly realized that the cloth was enchanted somehow, and no amount of her strength could tear through it, even with magical enhancement. Somehow, she was managing to stay calm; the steadiness of her breathing was one of two things keeping Kagami from going insane with dread… her hatred for the Second was the other. As long as Homura was there, as long as they were together, somehow, they would make it out of this…

Desideria pouted, sticking out her lower lip. "That's so cold of you, Kagami-chan. You should at least get all the facts about us before you go slinging names around."

"Save it. Homura told me all about you… you want to kill me and my sister, and that's all I need to know."

"Kill you?" Desideria shook her head and sighed. "Oh, Homura-chan, what lies have you been filling her head with?"

An icy chill cut through the heat of Kagami's anger. "Homura…?"

Homura spoke for the first time since they had been bound, softly and evenly. "Don't listen to her, Hiiragi-san."

Leaning even closer to her, Desideria's mouth curled into a sultry smirk. "Let's just see for ourselves what she's been telling you, Kagami-chan."

_"Mmmmph!"_ Kagami's scream of rage and disgust was muffled by the Demon's lips pressing against hers. Pain she expected, pain she was ready for… not this. She shut her eyes tight, shivering involuntarily as Desideria's tongue slithered in her mouth like a snake, trying to entwine with hers.

The evenness in Homura's voice broke as she rocked violently back and forth, straining against her wrappings. "_Get away from her!_"

Both of them gasped as Desideria finally broke the kiss. Leaning back and licking her lips, the Demon almost shone with glee. "Oh, this is _wonderful._ She really hasn't told you _anything_, has she, Kagami-chan?"

Trying not to be sick, Kagami glared at her with as much loathing as she could muster. "Why… you…"

Pale fingertips stroked her cheek, making her shudder again. "Poor thing, no wonder you're so confused. Shall I tell you about the _real_ Homura Akemi?"

"Hiiragi-san, whatever she says, don't-" Homura's words were silenced as ribbons rose from her bindings and sealed themselves over her mouth.

Desideria's eyes flicked back toward the stained-glass window. "Thank you, Jovanni." At the altar, a gap had opened in the stone floor, emitting hellish light… the chanting of the monks rose in volume. Turning back to Kagami, she grinned. "We don't have much time before the Rite starts, so I'll be brief… Your other self, the one that destroyed her world, killed all her friends, and became our mother?" Her eyes sparkled. "It's Homura's fault. She _let_ it happen… because she was in love with you, and couldn't bear to kill you when she had the chance."

Ice flooded Kagami's veins as her eyes went wide as saucers. The chanting of the monks, the persistent hissing, every other sound faded out except for Desideria's voice and the beating of her heart. "No. No, that's not true." She shook her head. "That can't be true…"

Behind her, Homura made a noise that sounded like a sob.

"Oh, but it is," said Desideria, pressing her hands together in delight. "Everything you've gone through, Kagami Hiiragi, all the suffering and heartbreak you've experienced since Homura Akemi came into your life… it's _all_ her fault. And do you know what the best part is?"

"Stop it." Kagami wished she could shut her ears, block out the sound before she heard it. Stinging needles prickled in her belly, filling her with the poison of betrayal. "Stop…"

"The best part is, that wasn't even the first time! Homura Akemi has been in love before, and let the same thing happen..." As she spoke, the Demon's shape began to change. Her glasses disappeared, streaks of color raced through her hair and eyes, filling them lavender and blue… and Kagami felt a fresh wave of revulsion as she realized that Desideria was changing into her mirror image. In seconds, another Kagami was sitting naked before her in the pew. She examined herself, running her fingers through her long pigtails, wearing an expression that Kagami hoped had never been and never would be seen on her face again. "Perfect," she said, her voice changed to Kagami's as well. Desideria smiled in apparent satisfaction and slid across the stone seat, out of Kagami's sight. "You see, this worthless human…" Behind her, Homura began squirming again. There was a rustling of cloth. "… has seen the world destroyed, over and over… She sees countless people die, and she lets it happen, because of her _love._"

"That's not…" Kagami's voice was faint. All her strength and anger seemed to be evaporating. The needles were spreading through her chest, down her arms, making everything cold.

The Demon's voice rose in a frenzy. "Do you understand now, Kagami-chan? Homura Akemi will do _anything_ for love. _Anything._ Things that normal humans would never even consider. You call _us_ monsters? In her world, you _begged_ Homura to make the pain stop, and she wouldn't do it, because she loved you too much. That was when you broke. That was what doomed the world, and started the process that gave birth to us. She didn't tell you that, did she?"

Homura made that noise again.

"No," said Kagami. She had started crying, but she couldn't feel the tears on her numb cheeks. She was so cold…

At the altar, the monks' horrible voices rose again. Now they were singing, a toneless, meandering dirge. Blasts of heat that Kagami couldn't feel were erupting from the gap in the floor.

"She gave up her soul for her so-called love," said Desideria. As she spoke, Kagami felt Homura's body give a sudden, violent jolt… a tiny squeal escaped her cloth gag. "She gave up her soul, and turned it into _this_ monstrosity. It's the only thing about her that's still real." Another jolt, and another. "Her love certainly isn't… if she _really_ loved anyone in her miserable life, she would learn to let them go. She may think she loves you, but I've seen her memories, I know better. All she really wants from you, Kagami-chan, is _this!_"

The singing of the monks reached a crescendo as Homura's back arched, and she made the most terrible sound Kagami had ever heard a human make… a moaning wail hardly muffled at all by the cloth, ashamed and sorrowful beyond measure. She jolted against Kagami's back one last time, then fell still, breathing hard.

Kagami couldn't hear the monks singing, or the continued hissing of the Sixth, or Desideria's chuckling. All she could hear was her own heart, and the quiet, defeated little sounds that Homura was making behind her.

There was always a chance that the Demon was lying. Look at what else her kind had done: trying to kill her and her friend, setting Ayano against Misao, swallowing her whole, kidnapping Konata and changing her into something inhuman, something that didn't even recognize her best friend… and torturing Homura. Torturing her by reminding her of her failure, her greatest weakness. Was all the Demon said true? Probably not… but there was enough truth in it to make Homura cry. Kagami considered this, turned all of it over thoroughly in her mind before she spoke.

"Hmm?" Desideria cocked her ear. "I didn't quite hear that, Kagami-chan. What did you say?"

"You _bitch_," said Kagami, louder this time. Her body shook with righteous fury. "You evil, heartless bitch… I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to Homura…"

With a sigh, Desideria rose to her feet. "You humans," she said, brushing back one of her pigtails. "I can't decide whether it's noble or sad that you're so willing to forgive each other's failures. It hardly matters now, in any case… the Rite of Purification is ready."

Kagami looked up. Two dark boxes had risen from the gap… huge, black, wrought-iron boxes, mostly rectangular but tapering slightly at one end, shapes that Kagami had seen in too many bad horror movies: coffins. She lifted her head and stared right at them, unwilling to show the Demons fear. "So now what? You've finished torturing us, and now you're going to kill us?"

"You don't listen very well, do you, Kagami-chan?" Lovingly, Desideria stroked one of the coffin lids with her fingertips. It opened at her touch with an awful groan. Inside there was only blackness. "I already told you, we're not going to kill _you_. The Rite of Purification is for sinners who need to be cleansed with sacred fire… you should know all about that sort of thing as a _miko_, shouldn't you?" A grin split her face. "One of these coffins is for Homura-chan, of course, but the other… is for Konata."

**END OF CHAPTER 16**


	17. Chapter 17: If I Hold Onto You Like This

**CHAPTER 17: If I Hold Onto You Like This…**

**The Sixth's Lair**

_Oh no. No. No, no, no, no, no. She's going to kill them._

_ She's going to burn them to death and make me watch._

_ I've got to stop her. Got to do something…_

"Homura," she croaked, her throat constricted with panic. Wriggling in her bonds, Kagami tried to look over her shoulder. "Homura," she said again, managing it clearly this time. "Can you hear me?"

The only reply from behind her was a faint, muffled sob.

"If you can, then listen," said Kagami. "We don't have much time."

"I wouldn't waste your breath," said Desideria from her position on the stone altar. She sat on the corner with her legs crossed provocatively. Kagami dearly wished she would stop wearing her face and body, or at least wear some clothes… "She might still be in her afterglow, if she's not broken." The Second examined her nails. "You wouldn't know, Kagami-chan, but after _that_ happens, it's a little hard to hear for a while…"

_Shut up!_ Kagami wanted to scream at her. Her temper flared in her breast, melting some of the icy fear in her veins… but no. Homura couldn't afford that kind of outburst right now. Every second was precious. "Homura," she said, keeping her voice as calm and even as possible, "I don't know what you've been through. I don't know how much truth there was in what she said… Until you tell me yourself, I _can't_ know. Maybe it's all lies, but…" She swallowed. "If you l-love me, or if you l-l-loved the other me, then you can't let it end like this. Homura? You can't."

There was no answer.

_"Proceed,"_ hissed the voice of the Sixth, floating down from somewhere in the rafters. Behind the altar, the monks broke their circle and began to move, milling around the black iron coffins. Konata hung back from the line, stopping in front of the one on the left.

"Please, Homura," said Kagami, feeling her eyes stinging. "Please, answer me. This is what she wants, you _know_ that! She wants you to give up! Dammit, say something!"

Again, no answer.

The monks walked slowly down the crooked aisle between the pews in succession. Apart from the persistent hissing of the Sixth's breath, everything was silent.

"I know it hurts." Kagami swallowed past the lump building in her throat. "I know it hurts, worse than I can imagine. But if you stop fighting now, you- _mmmmhh…_" Her speech was cut off as the edge of the red cloth slithered up her neck, past her chin and over her mouth, clamping onto her skin. Kagami rocked violently back and forth, screaming muffled defiance. _No, damn it! No!_ Her wrappings constricted around her, conforming to every curve of her body, squeezing so tight that she could scarcely breathe.

Up at the altar, Desideria sighed. "Thank you again, Jovanni. You know, I always wondered what Mother's human form would be like," she said as she stood upright again. "I never imagined you'd be so _boring_."

"_Rrrrrrgh!_" Kagami's temper exploded. The monks surrounded the pew; she spat a torrent of muted curses at them as she felt them pick up Homura, her black hair brushing against the back of her neck. All she could do was wriggle and thrash helplessly… she tipped over and fell flat back against the seat, unable to even remain upright without Homura's body to lean against. They were taking her away, back down the aisle. Kagami turned her head and did her best to shout out her name…

The pale face she saw amid the multitude of red robes broke her heart. Homura's violet eyes were dulled, half-lidded with absolute despair, red around the edges from weeping. Her left hand hung loose from the wrappings, from when the Second had… had hurt her, but it made no effort to tear them away. Kagami had never seen anyone look so hopelessly… lost.

She wanted to weep herself, felt a powerful temptation to lose herself in hopeless agony. _What can you do?_ whispered something dark and cold and seductive inside her. _There's no way you can understand her pain, no way you can help her, or even speak to her…_

_No._ Kagami closed her eyes. _No. There's a way, there has to be a-_

And just like that, she had it.

_Kyubey,_ she thought. _Are you still alive?_

There was a pause that felt as long as a year, then… _Yes,_ came the reply.

For once, his cold, clinical voice was like a blessing. Kagami's heart surged with impossible hope. _Listen to me. Don't move, don't make a sound, don't do _anything _unless I tell you to. I want you to let me talk to Homura telepathically. You can do that, right? Please, tell me you can do it!_

The monks approached the open coffins with their prey. Konata stepped inside hers and turned around, closing her eyes and folding her arms over her chest.

_I can,_ said Kyubey, sounding uncertain. _But if she doesn't want to listen-_

_I don't care_, thought Kagami. _I'll _make_ her listen. Do it! Connect us!_

Again, his voice was uncertain. _But-_

_ Do it _now!

Homura's mind spread out before hers like a book falling open. A jumble of images of horrible things, of overlapping voices, of countless memories, of overwhelming, unbearable sorrow and guilt that clawed at her in every waking moment… Kagami let out a muffled scream as it all assaulted her at once, and tears sprung unbidden to her eyes. _Oh God, this is what it's like, this is what she lives with? How does she-_

But there was something else mingled with that sorrow, something warm and golden, a purity of feeling unlike anything Kagami had ever known. An achingly bittersweet emotion, something that drove her on, that let her bear the immense pain and sadness and loneliness of her life…

Kagami reached for that feeling with all the power she had. _Homura,_ she said, directly to the Puella Magi's mind. _I think I understand it now. You think you're beyond redemption, that I have every right to hate you. You can't forgive yourself._

_ But if _you_ won't, Homura, then damn it, I will! I forgive you, do you hear me? I don't care what horrible things you think you're responsible for, I don't care what happened to the other me, I forgive you! There's no way I could ever hate you, not after what we've seen, not after what we've been through! They've made you hurt, they've made you suffer, but you don't have to go through it by yourself anymore! Do you hear me, Homura? YOU ARE NOT ALONE!_

The procession of monks scattered, the Second and Sixth cried out in shock, and Kagami's eyes widened as Homura Akemi grew wings. Not made of feathers or flesh, but pieces of the night sky, they spread from one end of the cathedral to the other, glorious and dark and painted with stars and galaxies, effortlessly shredding the robes that had bound her. Her body was aglow, and her eyes shone with fresh tears. The spell she cast over the twisted cathedral, the spell that held the Demons and Spawn at bay and kept them frozen… it wasn't magic. It was simply the majesty of her presence.

Slowly, silently, she floated down to the pew like a strange, dark angel from Heaven. She reached out her hand, as her wings tore Kagami's wrappings away. "Hiiragi-san," she whispered, with a smile that mingled relief and sadness so closely that one could not be told from the other. "Thank you."

Kagami took her hand and held it tight, awestruck. "You never told me you had wings…"

"There's many things I haven't told you," said Homura. "Things I should have said long ago."

"It's okay, Homura. It's okay. We'll have time later. For now?" Kagami smiled, blue eyes burning bright. "Let's get these bastards."

With her other hand, Homura turned over the shield on her arm…

The spell over the Demons broke. "_Jovanni!_" Desideria screamed, her voice an awful shriek. "Start the ritual on the other one now, don't let-"

In the space of an instant, both girls were atop the altar, Kagami with her sword and Homura wielding an ebony bow… Kagami took a flying leap towards Desideria, raising her blade over her head and roaring a _kiai_ that would have made Ibuki-_sensei_ weep with pride: "_MEN!_"

The Second barely dodged in time. She felt the edge of the _bokken_ nick her shoulder, vibrations in the black stone beneath her feet as Kagami's feet hit the ground… and her eyes widened in disbelief when the simple wooden sword struck the floor, and left a gouge an inch deep in solid rock. "How did you…?"

Kagami raised her sword and met her duplicate's eyes. All she said was, "_You._"

Desidera ran. Pushing the Spawn out of her way, she fled down one of the crooked aisles, out the iron doors…

"No!" Kagami screamed in frustration, dealing a monk a ferocious blow to the neck. Desperately she looked back and forth, from those iron doors to Konata, now climbing out of her coffin and reaching for another iron staff…

A blazing arrow whistled over her shoulder and pierced the forehead of the Spawn creeping up behind her. "Go after her, Hiiragi-san," said Homura, calm and detached once more as she notched another shaft.

"But-" Kagami hesitated. "But Konata…! And you should get a chance to-"

"I'll save Izumi-san, I swear it." Her voice was soft, barely audible over the clamor of battle, but there was no lack of conviction to it. "As for the Second…" Homura's eyes glimmered with righteous fury. "Make sure you kill her twice. Once for me, once for you."

"Got it," said Kagami, her lips curling into a grim smile. "Good luck, Homura. Give them hell." With that, she shoved her way between the clawing arms of the monks, raising her _bokken_ defensively to block their falling iron staffs. Her eyes were locked on those iron doors the Second had fled through. She ran, her feet pounding against stone, vaulting over pews, dodging gouts of fire erupting from cracks in the floor… Far ahead, across the rocky terrain, she saw her duplicate's lavender pigtails streaming behind her in the hot, stale air.

* * *

><p>It was so strange… her heart was aching, but singing with joy at the same time. The tears on her face were warm and comforting, like a gentle spring rain. She still hurt, of course… there was the shame and horror of the Second's torment, twisting and churning within her, but it no longer consumed her. Homura could bear it for now. She had to bear it, for Kagami's sake, for Konata's sake. For everyone…<p>

All around her, monks were dropping like flies. She was loosing arrows so fast her fingertips were blistering… iron staffs swiped at her, tongues of red cloth tried to snatch her limbs, blasts of flame licked hungrily up at her from the floor, but she moved out of their way with the grace of a dancer, as if she could see each movement seconds before it happened.

One arrow tore back the hood of a Spawn as it sliced through its temple… Homura allowed herself a moment of disgust. The head beneath had once been human, clearly, but its gray flesh was now thin and shrunken over the bone; there was no muscle underneath, its lips were pulled back in a hideous rictus grin. It had no eyes, not even any eye sockets… the space in the skull where they should have been was featureless and smooth.

Feeling the whistling breeze of a staff falling behind her, Homura turned and summoned another arrow… and nearly sent a shaft through Konata Izumi's head. The small girl was once again struggling to lift the heavy staff one-handed, her injured wrist hanging loosely at her side.

_It's too late to save the others,_ thought Homura. _Their humanity is long gone, but I have to save you, Izumi-san. I made a promise…_ Her bow disappeared into violet particles. With both hands free, she turned over her shield once more… an eyeblink later, Konata was falling forward, courtesy of an elbow jab to the back of her neck. Homura caught her from behind as she fell, balancing her on one arm. _I'm sorry._

A hissing voice filled the cathedral, rumbling through the foundations. _"No,"_ said Jovanni. His burning stained-glass eye glared ferociously down at the small figure. "_You will not escape, sinner. My brothers' blood is on your hands. You will repent, then you will die._" Then he screamed, high-pitched and terrible, as three bullets left smoking holes in the glass…

_It can feel pain,_ thought Homura, making another time-stop jump to the back of the twisted church, out of the reach of the spawn. _So it can be killed._ She laid the unconscious Konata down carefully in a pew as the monks roared, and the Sixth howled in rage. Stepping into the aisle, she withdrew a long metal cylinder from her shield and dropped to one knee. She didn't bother to stop time for this attack; the target was far too big to miss. Homura lined up the sights and squeezed the trigger.

The weapon leapt and expelled a fiery backwash as the rocket took flight, igniting itself before it could hit the stone floor. It let out a howl of its own, almost like a battle cry, trailing smoke behind it in a tightening spiral as it homed in on the largest window. The Sixth's eye went wide with dread… Fire blossomed over the altar as the rocket exploded, shattering the glass into a million tiny shards. Jovanni screamed louder than ever, blinded, and the whole cathedral shook and lurched as the remaining glass spewed fountains of orange blood.

There was a thunderous crash outside. One of the steeples had been shaken loose by the explosion. More blood drenched the hideous windows. The monks charged forward, driven insane by their master's agony. Homura dropped the rocket launcher, dove for Konata and scooped her up, draping her over her shoulder. Drawing a machine gun from her shield, she blanketed the remaining monks in a hail of bullets as she carefully moved backward out the open iron doors. During a break in her fire, Kyubey darted down the aisle ahead of them, past Homura's ankle and out the door. He knew what was coming, and multiple bodies or not, he didn't want to be anywhere near the Demon when it happened.

The moment she was outside the doors, she set Konata down again. Her magic flared, and a half-dozen M29 mortars appeared in front of her in a row… she was going to make damned certain that this thing would never capture another innocent civilian again. Another time-stop jump, and the projectiles were loaded. Six high explosive bombs dropped onto their firing pins; Homura crouched down and covered her ears.

In unison, the mortars fired, belching acrid smoke as they launched their barrage. Propellants hissed as the volley flew in a high, graceful arc, falling back to earth with proximity triggers primed. The result was spectacular; the first blast blew out all the Demon's remaining windows, the second collapsed its steeples, the third through sixth tore it to pieces from the inside. A wave of heat, flame, and shrapnel washed over the two girls…

* * *

><p>The Sixth exploded before Kagami could reach the edge of the Lair. She looked back over her shoulder, horrified, as the black stone cathedral was engulfed in fire and destruction… from this distance, she couldn't see anyone escaping the blaze. <em>"Homura!"<em>

There was no answer. She was too far away for her voice to reach, and the telepathic channel between herself and Homura had already closed. _Dammit, Homura, if you died back there, I'm going to kill you myself,_ she thought bitterly, forcing herself to turn around and continue the chase. Desideria already had a huge lead on her, she couldn't afford to fall behind. She would simply have to trust that Homura, Kyubey, and Konata had all made it out alive.

With the Sixth's death, his Lair collapsed almost immediately. Kagami braced herself to emerge from the fog bank, back in the abandoned lot in the real world… but instead she found herself in a new place she didn't recognize.

Her own bewildered face looked back at her from a thousand different angles. She stood at the mouth of a labyrinth of mirrors, mirrors everywhere, like a funhouse gone berserk. They not only served as walls, but as the ground underneath her feet, and floating overhead through a gray, cloudy void, linked together by golden chains. Unnerved, she ran forward, into the maze. The mirror images ran along with her. A left turn, a right, the center path of a branch of three… she hurtled through with no rhyme or reason, trusting only her sense of direction; trying to rely on her sight was pointless.

Ahead of her, one of the Kagamis in the glass stopped running, turned around, and grinned. "_You're really going to be so quick to forgive, Kagami-chan?_" she said, shaking her head and placing her hands on her hips. "_Didn't you hear anything I told you?_"

"I heard, and I don't care!" growled Kagami, charging for that mirror. _All right, I've seen this trick before on TV. She's got to be in one of the panes, right?_ Not even bothering with a _kiai_, she struck the mirror with her _bokken_, spreading a spider web of cracks through it… to her surprise, it dissolved into a waterfall of fine sand a moment later.

Behind her, she heard her own voice again, sardonic and cruel… and coming from two different mirrors this time. "_But she didn't even tell you about _her," said both Kagamis at once. "_The person she loved before you. The _other _you, I mean. The one she made the same mistakes for._"

_Crash, crash._ Both panes of glass cracked and turned to sand. "That doesn't matter to me. Love can be weird… it's not something you'll ever understand!"

Now there were five Kagamis, all in different directions, surrounding her. With an awful grinding noise of glass on glass, the mirrors began to shift, rearranging themselves. "_Then let's see if we can find something that _does_ matter. There's still so much she's keeping from you, after all…_" All the mirror Kagamis put their hands to their chins. "_Like what becoming a Puella Magi _really_ means. I don't think you quite get that yet, do you?_"

"Something about her soul," said Kagami, turning in a slow circle. Which mirror to attack? "Like I said, I don't really care."

"_Maybe you should. You see, that body you want to hold onto so badly… it's a fake. A creation of her magic. Her _real_ body? It's that gem she always wears._" The Kagamis chuckled. "_Weren't you wondering how I violated her without touching her down there? It was her Soul Gem. All I had to do was stroke it a little bit, and she loved it. You heard her come, didn't you? It was probably even better for her, since I was wearing your face…_"

"You _bitch_," Kagami snarled. Her face reddened with hatred. "I'm gonna make sure you never hurt her, ever again!"

"_Speaking of which…_" At this, all the Kagamis began running their hands over their bodies, accentuating their curves… "_I wonder what Homura-chan would think of your little episode in the bath? Would you have finished if Kyubey hadn't interrupted?_"

"Shut up!"

"_That's not an answer, Kagami-chan. Besides, there's still so much more we need to talk about. Poor little thing… you're so in the dark that you don't even know just how ignorant you are."_

"I said shut up!"

"_How about this: I read your friend Konata's mind before she was given the Rite of Conversion. Poor Kona-chan, she's been suffering too, you know. She knows there's something between you and Homura-chan, and deep, deep down inside… she's jealous._"

Kagami's grip on the hilt of her _bokken_ faltered, just a bit.

"_You didn't know _that_, did you?_" The panes of glass rang with laughter."_Kona-chan's had feelings for you for some time now. She resents how Homura-chan just swept into your life, how you fell for her darkness, and her secrets, and her angst…_" All the mirror Kagamis smirked. "_You know, Kona-chan's had more than one bath-time fantasy of her own, too. You have so much in common…_ _You'd actually make a great couple._"

"No," Kagami felt it sting, deep within her. Even if it was a lie… She shook her head. "I don't want to hear this!"

"_It's the truth, and you know it. Your best friend loves you, and you fell in love with someone else. Maybe you would have even ended up together, if Homura-chan hadn't come along. You see, _she's _the real chaos in your life, Kagami-chan. She was never supposed to be here, in this time, in this place. You were never supposed to meet. She threw everything out of balance, and now you're paying the price._"

"Stop it," whispered Kagami. Her sword dropped and hung loosely at her side. "Just stop."

"_And then there's you,_" said the mirrors over the tortured groaning of glass as the mirrors moved closer together, forming a wall around her. "_That's one of the advantages of being able to read minds, Kagami-chan. Just by touching you, I _know_ you, probably better than you know yourself. So I know what's growing inside you…_"

"Inside… me…?" Seized by terror, Kagami put a hand over her belly.

"_It's Mother,_" said her duplicates with obscene joy. "_Mother already exists in your world. She's inside your body, inside your mind. She grows stronger with every breath you take. Every time you suffer, she stirs a little more. It's already too late to stop her. Very, very soon, you'll crack, and you'll give birth to her, far more powerful than she ever was before. This time, her roots will spread throughout every world, every universe. My brothers and I will be joined by countless billions just like us._"

"I won't… let that happen," whispered Kagami, fighting a powerful wave of nausea. That burning cold inside her, that soft, seductive voice that spoke to her when she was at her lowest… it all made sense now.

"_You can't stop us,_" said the images. "_You_ created_ us. We were born from humanity's sins, the sins that have always been there, since the beginning of time. We modeled ourselves after them, made ourselves into the living embodiments of your species' worst actions. My brothers and I are going to punish you for those sins, Kagami-chan, and we'll never stop until the day you lose yourself._"

Something snapped. Kagami's grip on the hilt tightened again, her knuckles turned white. Her eyes disappeared under the shade of her bangs.

"_You feel her, don't you? You feel her moving inside? You can even hear her voice…_"

A wordless howl of rage emerged from Kagami as she took up her sword, and spun on her heel in a circle. The _bokken_ didn't connect with a single pane of glass, but something erupted from its edge, invisible and deadly, following the path it cut through the air. That something slammed into the mirrors all around her… and kept spreading outward like a shockwave, shattering row after row of glass, turning it all to dust. The circular wave grew and grew, tearing the labyrinth apart, reaching the very edges of the Lair's space and breaking through…

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Satte, Saitama<strong>

In shock, Desideria found herself sitting in the street, wearing Kagami's naked form once more. _That's not possible,_ she thought. _She broke out of my Lair… nothing can do that, much less a human! That's not possible!_ She looked back over her shoulder…

Kagami Hiiragi stood there on the sidewalk, partly shrouded by the dissipating fog left by the Lair. She wielded her _bokken_ like a samurai hell-bent on shedding blood. There was something in her eyes… not Mother, Mother the Second would have recognized. Her blue eyes were bright and shining with anger, and filled with stars. Desideria thought for one inexplicable moment that she saw shadows sprouting from the girl's back, strange and shifting… the vaguest suggestion of black, feathered wings. The small, pitiful human schoolgirl who had just broken out of her Lair with nothing but a wooden sword glared at her with those terrible starry eyes, and spoke two words: "Get up."

An alien sensation coursed through Desideria's body. It was something she had felt from her many victims, but never for herself. Icy cold, crawling like rats up and down her back… for the first time in her life, the Second was truly afraid.

She clambered to her feet and fled. Kagami tore off after her, making deadly slashes with her blade. Air and something else far more dangerous rushed past Desideria's ear. _Glass, _she thought in a panic. _I have to find-_

There, ahead, a simple shop window. It was enough. Abandoning all caution, she dove for it… and as she did so, she felt something thin as a razor and just as sharp slice open the back of her leg from knee to calf. Desideria shrieked with pain, but there was laughter in it. She was already inside the window's glass, and by the time it shattered under Kagami's blade, she was far away, nothing more than a reflection.

* * *

><p>"<em>Coward! <em>You fucking _coward!_ Come back here, damn you!" Kagami's shout of rage could almost be heard over the clamoring of the shop's alarm. Heedless of the danger, she stomped on one of the broken shards of glass that had held her reflection a moment ago. Her foot came down again and again, crushing the shard into powder, but it was too late… the Demon was already gone.

Defeated, Kagami stumbled backward, into the empty street. She hurt… fighting three Demons in one night made her more exhausted than anything she could remember. The wailing of the alarm was making her head pound. Her _bokken_ dropped from her grasp as she sank to her knees, numb.

"Hiiragi-san?" The voice came from behind her as the alarm petered out, magically silenced.

Kagami found enough strength in that voice to look up. She wanted to call out to her, but words wouldn't come.

Bloodied and singed, but very much alive, Homura walked slowly out of the last tendrils of the fog, cradling a figure clad in the tattered remains of a red robe in her arms. She was followed by Kyubey, milling around her feet like a cat. Slowly she knelt in the street alongside Kagami, laying the figure down. Konata's skin was pale, but no longer ashen gray. Aside from the robe and the discolored wound on her wrist, she appeared perfectly normal.

"_Konata!_ Oh, Konata, thank God!" Kagami threw her arms around her sleeping friend, feeling the tears she had held back spilling down her cheeks. She hugged Konata tight, more grateful for her safe return than for anything in her life. "Konata. Konata. Konata… You stupid little midget, thank God you're okay…"

Without a word, Homura stood back up and turned to leave, already putting a hand on her shield…

… but found herself unable to do so, for someone was gripping her left hand tight.

"No," said Kagami without looking up. "Not this time."

"Hiiragi-san, I-"

"Save it," said Kagami quietly. "I know how it works now. You turn that shield over, it stops time, and you go away. If I hold onto you like this… you can't leave me."

"Hiiragi-san?" Homura was genuinely confused. "You… you should be with Izumi-san now, she needs you. You should let me go."

"_No,_" said Kagami, much more firmly. "Don't you get it? After all the hell we've been through tonight, do you honestly think I want you to disappear again?"

Somehow sensing that now was not an appropriate moment to speak up, Kyubey turned and melted into the night. He would gather more data later.

"You should want that, Hiiragi-san," said Homura, looking away. "I've brought enough suffering into your life. If I stay, you'll only hurt more."

"You think if you go it _won't_ hurt?" Kagami shifted Konata from her lap and stood up, still holding the Puella Magi's hand with all her might. "Look, I told you before: you're not alone." With her other hand she turned Homura around and grasped her chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. "After what she put you through, you _shouldn't_ be alone. Not tonight. If tomorrow you want to go off and be mysterious again and whatever the hell else, that's fine, but not tonight. Tonight you stay with me. I need you… and you need me. And if you believe anything else…" She smiled, tears welling in her eyes. "… then you're stupid."

Homura's pale cheeks turned faintly pink. "But Hiiragi-san-"

Kagami leaned close to her and whispered, "Don't you think it's about time you started calling me Kagami?"

Their lips met. It wasn't a kiss like one would see in the movies or on television; by most standards, it wasn't remarkable at all… it was light, only lasting for a few seconds at most, and afterward both girls looked away from each other and turned scarlet.

Neither spoke for several minutes. Kagami still held Homura's hand, though it was clear now that she wouldn't dare leave, even if she let go.

"Kagami," said Homura softly, starting to turn red again. "I don't think we should. I… I want to, more than I can say, but I'm afraid-"

"It'll be a mistake?" Kagami chuckled just slightly. "So am I. Let's worry about that later. We still have to-"

She was interrupted by a loud yawn from somewhere down by their feet. "_Fuwaaaaah…_" Both girls let go of each other as if they had been shocked as Konata Izumi sat up, smacked her lips, and rubbed her eyes. "Kuh-Kagamin? Izzat you? What am I…" She blinked. "Why am I in the street?"

Kagami laughed and hugged her again. "Because you're stupid. Welcome back, sleepyhead."

"Uh, thanks," said Konata uneasily, patting her back with her good hand. "Now where's…" Konata looked up at Homura, and her sleepy half-lidded eyes grew wide. With one glance, she took in Homura's battle costume: her long-sleeved blouse, rather like a gothic-styled school uniform, her pleated skirt with the white ruffle, her diamond-patterned tights, the ornate shield on her arm, her Soul Gem attached to the back of her left hand. After several seconds of silence, her familiar catlike smile spread across her face. "I knew it," she said, triumphant. "I _knew_ it. I _knew_ magical girls were real!"

Homura blinked and stared at Kagami, lost for words.

Kagami simply shut her eyes tight and groaned. Her palm slapped over her face as she muttered, "Oh dear God…"

**END OF CHAPTER 17**


	18. Chapter 18: So Now What?

**CHAPTER 18: So Now What?**

**Somewhere Near the Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"C'mon, can't you do it just _once?_"

_ "No."_

"But you've _got_ to, I've been waiting for something like this my whole life! It's easy, just watch me." Konata waved her arms, posing as elaborately as she could without aggravating her injured hand. "'For love and justice, the sailor-suited pretty soldier, Sailor-'"

Kagami glared over her shoulder. "If you don't quit pestering her, I'm dropping you." She jostled the smaller girl she was carrying on her back, just to emphasize the point. As she did so, her _bokken_ bumped against her leg again. She was wearing it on hip, having shoved it through a makeshift belt made of the torn remnants of Konata's red robes. There was now a mark forming on her lower thigh from where the wooden blade kept hitting her; she would have a bruise in the morning. "You hear me? This is a _privilege_. Ask her one more time, and you're walking home."

"Aww." Konata pouted and stuck her lower lip out as she tightened her grip around Kagami's shoulders. "You guys are no fun."

Kagami rolled her eyes. "I'm really sorry about this," she said to the black-haired girl. "She's gonna cling to you like a puppy and be generally insufferable…"

"It's all right, Kagami. The questions I don't mind," said Homura cautiously, walking alongside her. "It's just…" She paused, searching for the right words. "I don't understand quite a bit of what Izumi-san is talking about…"

"You think I do? Every third word out of her mouth is something weird about games or anime. It's like she's not even speaking Japanese. This is what I put up with, almost every day…"

"I can hear you both, you know." Konata smiled deviously and leaned close to Kagami's ear. "So it's 'Kagami' now? Aren't we personal all of a sudden… did you make up from your spat?"

Kagami flushed hot and let her passenger drop a few inches, just to make a point.

"_Awp!_ All right, I get it! Geez, sorry…"

"At least you're back to normal," grumbled Kagami. "If those things had done any permanent damage, you wouldn't be running your mouth."

"What were they, anyway? I only remember bits and pieces…"

"I will explain everything, Izumi-san. Please be patient."

"We should wait until Tsukasa's there to hear it, too. She deserves to know." Kagami shut her eyes, wanting to knead her brow to dispel the headache she felt coming on. "God, I almost forgot about Tsukasa… today's been such a nightmare_._"

"What about Tsukasa?" Konata leaned forward.

Kagami couldn't help but shudder as she saw _that_ image again. She didn't want to bring it up, but compared to everything else that had happened tonight, _that_ she could almost deal with. _Almost. _"That much I can tell you. I found out that she and Miyuki are… together. Dating. And it's serious."

"It's _Miyuki?_" It wasn't often that something caught Konata completely off guard, but that information did it. "I knew she was seeing somebody, but Miyuki? _Our_ Miyuki? Little Miss Shrine-to-_Moe_?"

"_Moe_?" Homura began. "What is-"

"Please, don't ask. _You_ knew?" Shooting another glare back at her, Kagami pinched Konata's leg hard. "Why on earth wouldn't you tell me, you little-"

"_Ouch!_ You mean you didn't? Sheesh, Kagamin, you really _are_ blind to romance, it was written all over her face… she's been so blessed-out and spacey and happy, a lot more than usual. I thought it was obvious!" Konata leaned back and stared up at the starry night sky. "But Miyuki, though… wow. I never would have guessed. So how serious are we talking?"

Once again _that_ flashed through Kagami's mind. "Really serious. I found out this afternoon when I walked in on them."

Konata waggled her eyebrows mischievously. "Was there tongue? I bet there was tongue, wasn't there?"

"If you think I'm going to have this conversation about my own sister…"

"There _was_ tongue, I knew it! Way to go, Tsuka- _Ouch! _All right, all right, I get it!"

Homura only raised her eyebrows slightly as the conversation took that turn. Based on what she knew about Tsukasa and Miyuki, this was indeed unusual, but hardy enough to catch her attention. In truth, her usual razor-sharp focus had been quite absent during the long walk back… Her thoughts were a confused tangle of emotions and memories all wound together, one leading into another.

Foremost among those thoughts, the kiss kept floating through her mind: warm and soft, bittersweet with the taste of tears, a brief moment of pure and golden happiness like a little slice taken from someone else's life. Her hand kept wanting to take hold of Kagami's again, reaching for her without Homura even thinking about it, as if drawn there by magnetic force… it would only drop back to her side with a concentrated effort.

_This is wrong,_ said the cold and logical part of her brain whenever this happened. _She'll only be in more danger if we're together. Desideria will use us against each other. It will only hurt us both. It will never work. It's wrong…_

Another part of her mind had its own piece to say about that… not in words, but in a sense of sickening dread that made her skin crawl. She would think about Kagami, and from that thread Desideria would appear unbidden in her place, wearing her form, and… Homura shuddered, wanting to rub her arms for warmth despite the heat of the summer night. The violation… the fingers. Touching her Soul Gem, sending pulses of unwanted pleasure coursing through her being… the act had shattered her, brought down every barrier she put up to defend herself, broken her iron will to keep fighting…

That almost terrified her more than the hideous nature of the act itself. Desideria could break her determination, her ultimate defense, the one thing she had counted on for all this time despite the pain and loss and suffering. If she could destroy even that, what chance did-

"Homura?" Kagami's voice was tinged with concern. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine," she lied.

Kagami heard the lie and felt a pang of guilt stab at her heart. Whatever unspeakable horrors she had gone through today, what Homura had experienced was incalculably worse. She desperately wanted to forget about Konata and simply hug her… that feeling mixed with the burning desire to tear Desideria limb from limb, make sure she could never hurt anyone else ever again. Now wasn't the time for that, though, much as it killed her to admit it. There were more important things to do first: namely, to bring Konata back safely to her family, and inform her and Tsukasa of all that was going on. _Feels like this day's never gonna end…_

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Japan<strong>

Once again they met in darkness, fewer than before.

_We have a problem,_ said the Eighth. As always, its words were smooth and delicately chosen, honey wrapped in velvet.

_Indeed, _said the Ninth coldly.

_Let me punish her,_ begged the Seventh, frantic with desire. _Let me be the one. She has failed twice now. Let me make her pay in blood for her mistakes…_

_No,_ the Ninth said, and the Seventh fell silent. _We will wait for her. We will hear her explanation. Then we will decide what to do with her._

_I am here,_ said the Second, appearing out of a shard of a glass bottle that lay broken at their feet. She bowed unsteadily, one leg trembling slightly with the motion. _I apologize for my lateness._

The Seventh chomped at the bit, but managed to hold its tongue.

_Explain,_ said the Ninth, turning to her. _You claimed the Puella Magi was almost broken. You assured us that you and Jovanni could not fail._

_You saw what happened. The focal point proved more… resilient than I had anticipated,_ said the Second, projecting an odd mix of shame, anger, surprise… and perhaps just a tiny bit of reluctant admiration.

_Only four of the Nine remain_, said the Eighth. _We cannot afford another obstruction._

_We cannot,_ agreed the Ninth. _I will make this clear._ To the Seventh and Eighth, it said, _The two of you will stay out of sight. Avoid the Puella Magi and the first focal point if at all possible. Feed, but do so quietly._

_Quietly,_ spat the Seventh in disgust. _Quiet is for Desideria, not I. I want to tear flesh, drink marrow from bones. I want to bathe in blood. Let the Puella Magi come, I will-_

_We have already seen what happens to us when we grow overconfident,_ chided the Eighth.

The Ninth rounded on the Seventh, projecting fury as bitter as midwinter. _Seek out the Puella Magi, and you will have your torn flesh. I will rip you apart myself before she can kill you. You will stay hidden until I have need of you._

If it were human, the Seventh would have shrunk back, cowering. The Ninth's rage was capable of snuffing out even its insatiable bloodlust, for a while.

_As for you,_ said the Ninth, turning to its sister. _This is your final chance. Stay close to the other. Wait for the right time. You know what you must do._

_I understand._

_Go,_ said the Ninth to its other siblings. There was no need to say anything else.

The Seventh and Eighth vanished into the darkness.

_You are troubled,_ said the Second once they were alone. _I have never seen you this way._

The Ninth paused and thought before it spoke. _It concerns Mother,_ it said. _She grows, I feel it. However, she is not the same Mother that birthed us, not entirely. It is disquieting._

_Why?_

_Perhaps it is illogical to think of it, but…_ Again the Ninth paused. _Will she accept us? Will she accept what we have done to awaken her?_

It was a human gesture, wildly unnecessary for Demons, but… the Second reached forward and touched her brother's hand.

The Ninth felt the slightest bit of surprise at that. _Desideria? _it said, using the human name she had given herself for the first time.

_She will_, said the Second after a brief pause of her own. _She has to._ With nothing more to say, the Second sank back into the glass shard.

The Ninth remained, alone as it always was. It took no comfort in the Second's touch, or her faith in Mother. Comfort and faith meant nothing to one who was alone. The Second would only understand that when she died… and she _would_ die, by the Ninth's own hand. The Seventh and Eighth would die as well, should the Puella Magi not kill them first. The Ninth cared no more for its siblings than he did the bricks in the wall of the human building he was staring at. It trusted no one. Not even Mother. It felt some semblance of concern for her well-being, of course, but it didn't trust her.

Eventually, the Second, Mother, and everyone and everything else would all realize how alone they truly were. In that moment, the Ninth would kill them all, without remorse, without pause, without even knowing why. For that was the Ninth, that was its nature.

* * *

><p><strong>In Front of the Hiiragi Household<strong>

Home… it had never looked so wonderful to Kagami. There were lights on inside, warm and inviting as a hot bath, and the sweet, tangy, citrusy smell of fresh green tea wafting through the cracks between the front door and the doorframe. Part of her wanted to cry with relief, but another part told her that she was just too tired for that, dammit, and that she could blubber about it later. Besides, there was no guarantee that what was waiting inside was that peaceful or welcoming… "We're here, finally," she said to Konata. "You think you can walk?"

"Yeah, think so." Konata nodded.

"Good." Slowly Kagami lowered her passenger to the ground, then stood up and stretched the kinks out of her back. "For being so little, you sure are heavy…"

Konata would have been ready with a comeback, had she not seen what was parked in front of the house. "That's Yui-_nee-san_'s patrol car!"

Kagami looked back and forth from the car to Konata. She had noticed it in front of the house, of course, but thought it was just a random patrolman making a late-night visit to the shrine… there was so little crime in this neighborhood that police officers hardly ever appeared for other reasons. "It is? How can you tell?"

"See all the dents and scrapes?" Konata indicated the car's bodywork, which showed signs of having been extensively repaired in the past and would probably need more in the very near future. "It's her signature style, I'd know one of Yui-_nee-san_'s cars anywhere. What's she doing here, though?"

"_Tsukasa,_" groaned Kagami, rubbing her eyes. "Goddammit, I told her not to say anything…"

"Do you think we're in trouble?" asked Homura with a hint of worry.

"Could be." Kagami sighed. "I don't know what kind of greeting we're in for, so you both might want to brace yourselves."

"Gotcha, Kagamin."

"You want me to… come in with you?" The Puella Magi's pale cheeks pinkened a little in the glow of a street light. "I can… come back later… when everything is settled down."

"Of course I want you to come in," said Kagami, her fingertips brushing against the black-haired girl's hand. "You're a part of this. Besides, I already told you I'm not letting you disappear after what's happened tonight."

The pink tinge deepened into light red. "Kagami…"

"Awww, Akemi-san's actually _blushing!_ How cuuuuuute!"

"Shut up, you." Kagami briefly raised a fist in her friend's direction. "Come on, let's go face the music."

Together the three of them walked through the gate and climbed the step to the entranceway. Glancing to either side at Homura and Konata for support, Kagami took a deep breath and rapped on the front door three times.

There was a sudden flurry of running footsteps from inside, and the door flew open so fast it almost tore off its hinges. A confused flurry of loud, mingled names and titles preceded the stampede: "_Onee-chan!_" "_Kagami!_" "_Konata!_" "_Nee-san!_" Pandemonium ensued as first Tsukasa, then Tadao, Miki, Inori, and Matsuri, and then Soujiro Izumi and Yui Narumi all tried to burst through the doorway at once and seize the girls in what was quickly turning into a massive, chaotic group hug. Only Homura managed to back away in time to avoid the grasping arms trying to draw her into an embrace, never mind that aside from Tsukasa none of these people had ever seen her before. The only one of the crowd not hugging who apparently wanted to be was an extremely small red-haired girl, bouncing up and down in the _genkai_ behind the assembled family members, waving her tiny arms and attempting to push through the forest of entangled arms and legs. This was Yui's younger sister and Konata's cousin, Yutaka Kobayakawa, and she was meeting with no success at all in her effort to move to the front. Over the sudden rush of voices talking at once, one could barely hear her squealing "No _fair!_ _Onee-chan_, _oji-san_, let me through!"

"I'm so sorry, _onee-chan_, I had to tell them, I had to! You're back, you're okay…"

"Where on earth have you been, we've been worried sick-"

"Idiot, what the hell were you doing, going off by yourself like that? You're so stupid- Ow, _nee-chan_, get off my foot-"

"My little girl, thank God you're safe-"

"Let me _through!_"

"Ooof! Easy, Dad, you're crushing me! _Atatata,_ and watch the arm-"

"My God, look at you! You need to get that treated and bandaged, it's gonna swell like a balloon… What _happened_ to you?"

Kagami didn't know whether she was in more danger of being crushed to death or smothering from all the attention. All she knew was that her _bokken_ was being pressed up against her leg in an extremely uncomfortable position, its wrist guard digging into her side, and that she needed air… The reunion was all well and good, but this was just ridiculous. "All right, enough already!" she shouted at the top of her voice. "Everybody, settle down and let us through- Tsukasa, _please_ don't cling to me so tight- We'll explain everything, but right now all you need to know is that we're all okay, and that I'm _starving._ How about some food, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>Half an Hour Later<strong>

"You wouldn't believe it, it was just like in _Bomber Bikers of Shonan_ or something! They must have been delinquents, they had everything: the leather, the big hair, the brass knuckles, the knives…"

Soujiro gaped in astonishment at his daughter, his hands white around his mug of tea, long since gone cold. "Amazing… they just grabbed you right off the street?"

"Yeah, just like that! I tried to fight back, that's where I got this from-" Konata showed off her newly-bandaged wrist. "You'd have been so proud, Dad, I think I actually got one in a Cobra Twist…" To the Hiiragis' astonishment, she leapt up onto the table and began to demonstrate the position, growling as she wrestled with the imaginary attacker.

Marveling at her friend's inventiveness, Kagami simply sat back and watched the performance. When she finished her dinner and the inevitable questions started, she froze, completely unable to think of a cover story… and without missing a beat, Konata dove into some elaborately constructed ruse about running into a hostile gang on the way home. _I guess sometimes being unable to separate fantasy from reality comes in handy,_ she thought. _Then again, reality is so weird already…_

She couldn't help but notice that Konata was deliberately leaving one person out of her story… the person who had quietly walked in after the jam at the door had cleared, who had waited in the _genkai_ while she and Konata ate their fill, and who now stood in the corner like a statue, her pale features unreadable. Every once in a while, Kagami would glance over in her direction, just to check that she was still there… a small part of her was afraid that she would be gone between one eyeblink and the next.

"What's this country coming to?" Tadao ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "High school girls being kidnapped in broad daylight… it's disgusting…"

"We've had an unusual number of unexplained disappearances lately," said Yui, nodding gravely over her cup of sake. "This could be connected. But I can't understand why they would come after _you_, Konata… no offense, but you're not exactly the type who screams 'potential target', you know?"

Konata swallowed, threw a quick look at Kagami, then turned back to the others, all waiting in rapt attention. "Well, uh…" Sheepishly she rubbed the back of her head. "They, uh, weren't exactly after me… they kinda only noticed me because I jumped in to protect _her._" With that, she pointed to the figure in the corner…

Eight pairs of eyes all traveled to the black-haired girl. None of them had noticed her standing there before. Only Tsukasa recognized her; she let out a tiny _squeak_ of surprise.

"Kagami…?" said Miki slowly, squeezing her husband's hand tight. "Who is that?"

It was Kagami's turn to swallow. How to answer that question? Homura was… well, it was safe to say that she was now far more than simply her classmate. Her protector? No, that wouldn't work. Her family would keep peppering them both with questions until they learned the whole truth, and that truth would scare them far too much. Her girlfriend, partner, lover? Absolutely not, not yet. The kiss had been wonderful, heavenly even, but there were still far so many issues to work through between them before they could even think of calling themselves something like that. "Mom, Dad, everyone…" she began as she stood up. She would just have to wing it. "This is Homura Akemi, we're in class together. The uh, delinquents, they attacked her, hurt her, and Konata got caught trying to help… but even though she was hurt, she called me, and she insisted on coming with me to save her. She was so brave… the bravest person I've ever seen, and it's because of her that we got Konata back. She's…" Her eyes were starting to water. Kagami rubbed them with the back of her hand and smiled. "She's my very special friend."

Once again the pink tinge colored Homura's cheeks as she bowed low in introduction, her black hair falling over her shoulders. "My name is Homura Akemi. I'm pleased to meet you."

There was a long moment of silence as eight pairs of eyes stared at her. Then, very slowly, Soujiro Izumi got to his feet, setting his mug down on the table. Kagami was shocked by how much this night seemed to have aged him… the last time she had been to Konata's house, she was sure he hadn't had those bags under his eyes, or those wrinkles creasing his forehead. His face was more serious than she had ever seen… completely removed from the lecherous goofball she thought she knew. "Akemi-san," he said quietly, searching for the words.

Then he bowed low, almost to the floor, and as his daughter stepped down from the table, so did she. Yui and little Yutaka sank into their own bows… the entire Izumi extended family was paying their respects to Homura. "Thank you. Thank you so much," said Soujiro. A few tears dampened the floor beneath him. "We all owe you a debt we can never repay. You too, Kagami-san. I'm glad my daughter has such good friends to look after her." And Kagami flushed hot as they all bowed to her as well.

Embarassed, the two girls bowed in return.

"Well, uh…" said Kagami as she rose back up, a bit flustered. "I know we still have a lot of explaining to do…" Konata gave her a ribald wink behind her father's back, but she ignored it. "… but we're all really tired. Could we talk more in the morning, please?"

"Sounds good to me," said Matsuri, standing up and stretching. "So, I guess I'll go get out the futons, since everybody's staying here… right?"

The Izumis and Yutaka looked at each other, then at Yui, who had just finished her sake. "Yui-_nee-san?_" said Konata, raising an eyebrow. "You drove Dad and Yuu-chan here, didn't you? How much sake have you had?"

Yui hiccupped. "Um, oops." She stuck out her tongue and tapped the side of her head with her knuckles. "Sorry to put you out, Hiiragi-_tachi_…"

Inori chuckled and waved her hand. "No, no, it's no trouble. I just hope we have enough futons for everyone… Akemi-san, are you staying too?"

Homura fidgeted, looking hesitant… until she saw Kagami's hopeful, pleading expression. The kiss wandered through her mind again. "I believe I will."

* * *

><p><strong>A Short Time Later<strong>

"So now what?"

Four of them were gathered around the table in Kagami's room, nursing mugs of tea: Kagami and Tsukasa on one side, Homura and Konata on the other. Tsukasa seemed intent on staying as close to her sister as possible... she hadn't said much since dinner.

The question had come from Konata. Despite their talk of sleep, none of them felt rested at the moment. In fact, Konata seemed more wired than ever, almost shaking with anticipation to hear Homura's story.

"Now we do what we promised," said Kagami, closing her eyes. There really was no way out of this. "We explain everything."

"Kyubey?" said Homura to thin air.

Tsukasa squeaked again, and Konata's eyes went wide. Kyubey materialized on the table, swishing his tail back and forth. _I'm here. It's good that you all made it back._

Shakily, Tsukasa bowed to him. "H-Hello again, Kyubey-san."

Across the table, Konata beamed from ear to ear. "Ohhh, _I_ get it! He's the fairy or whatever that gave you your powers, right, Akemi-san?"

Homura choked a little on her tea at the word "fairy", but managed to suppress it. "Y-Yes, I suppose you could say that."

As usual, Kyubey took Konata's remark in stride. _So. I know why you called me here, so shall we get started?_

"Yeah," said Kagami. "Let's hear it. Start from the beginning, please. Homura, if you want to fill stuff in-"

"I'll do what I can." Homura nodded.

So the story began. Starting with Oriko's prophecy, the white catlike creature related the tale of the meeting with their world's Hiiragi sisters, the tragic loss of the other Tsukasa, the other Kagami's fall and transformation, the terrible war against Vittoria, and finally the journey through time and space that brought them to Kasukabe. From there Kagami joined in when she could, explaining the Demon on the train, the revelation of her strange powers, the emergence of the Nine, and the true reasons she and Homura had sometimes been friendly and sometimes not over the last five weeks.

If he had been human, Kyubey would have been proud of himself. He kept almost no information from the girls; the few things that he left unsaid were done so at the urging of Homura, who sent him a brief, telepathic warning when the story strayed into uncomfortable territory. It confused him somewhat as to why she did this, and which parts she didn't want to talk about; hadn't she said that the two of them would explain _everything?_ He was willing to dismiss that as one of those strange human quirks, however. Perhaps she merely felt that certain things that had happened had little relevance to the larger issues at stake… though he couldn't begin to guess why she insisted on his not revealing the true nature of the Soul Gems.

While he and Homura explained, he was also able to gather a truly impressive amount of data about the physical signals of human emotional reactions. Tsukasa's hands went up to her mouth and stayed there from the moment she heard about the fate of her counterpart (Kyubey wondered if she would regurgitate. He hoped she would; he had seen Kagami do so earlier and was fascinated by the process.) By contrast, Konata listened to everything with rapt attention, leaning forward across the table a few centimeters more with each new chapter of the tale, her heartbeat increasing all the while. This seemed to be an involuntary action; he made a mental note to ask about its purpose later. By the time everyone was caught up, all four mugs were stone cold, and it was close to midnight.

Konata sat back and let out a breath. "That's… that's really some story. Puellae Magi, huh?" She slammed her fist into one palm. "Well, if these Nine guys are after the two of you, you bet your ass I'm gonna do what I can to help. Kyubey, you think you could make me a-"

"_No,_" said Kagami and Homura together.

Konata blinked. "Um, did I miss something?"

Homura gave Kagami a significant glance before answering. "I appreciate your desire to help, Izumi-san, but I cannot allow you to make a contract."

"But if I get a wish along with it-"

"Trust me, Konata, you don't want to, no matter how much of a fangirl you are," said Kagami darkly. "This is _not_ like your anime, not at all."

"But I want to help! How am I supposed to-"

"No, Izumi-san." Staring her right in the eyes, Homura's voice was almost pleading. "Please, trust me. The best way you can help is to continue living as you are, supporting Kagami and Tsukasa when they need it."

Konata seemed disappointed, but something in the graveness of Homura's voice told her this was not an argument she could win. She sighed. "If you say so, Akemi-san."

"Tsukasa?" Kagami nudged her sister gently. "Are you okay? I know it's a lot to take in…"

Tsukasa had been very, very quiet for the last twenty minutes. She blinked slowly, as if emerging from a dream, and looked from her sister to Kyubey to Homura and back again. "_Onee-chan_," she said, trembling, "I- please, just be careful. If we're really these 'focal points', even if we _do_ have powers-"

_About that,_ said Kyubey, prompting another squeak. _I've developed a theory as to what the nature of those powers might be._

Registering slight surprise, Homura leaned forward. "You have?"

_It was only tonight that I began to suspect,_ said Kyubey. _Kagami and Tsukasa, you two have been exhibiting unusual abilities ever since we came into your lives, without either of you realizing it. These abilities have been subtle, activating at sporadic times, but there seem to be common threads._

"Well?" said Kagami. "Spill it."

_Opposing forces,_ said Kyubey, looking from one twin to the other. _Light and darkness. Day and night. White and black. Sun and moon. Fire and water. In your language you call this concept _onmyo_ or _in'yo_, but others call it 'yin and yang'. My theory is that your powers derive from your nature as twin siblings: in most respects you're opposites, but each has aspects of the other, and without both present, neither is complete._

Kagami and Tsukasa stared at each other.

_Consider this,_ Kyubey continued. _Kagami, you have demonstrated an ability to break Homura's spells without conscious effort. When the Spawn attempted to feed on your Heart, you released a shockwave that completely destroyed both them and their parent. Tonight, you were able to kill one Demon, injure another, and escape a Lair with nothing more than a simple wooden sword. None of those things should be possible, and yet here you are. I believe your powers repel and reject magic._

Fine hairs rose on the back of Kagami's neck. The shockwave and the breaking of Homura's spell she hadn't thought about in weeks, but what had happened tonight… how _had_ she been able to do those things? She was nowhere near good enough at kendo to hurt living creatures that badly, and her _bokken_ wasn't nearly sharp enough to do what it had done over the last few hours…

_Tsukasa,_ said Kyubey, turning to her. _While you haven't had the kind of contact with Demons that your sister has, there is more than enough evidence to support my theory. You were the first to fall under the Demon's sleep spell on the train, correct? In addition, you were able to see traces of me long before I revealed myself in front of you. Again, that should be impossible for a normal human. In the same way that I believe Kagami repels magic, you attract it and absorb it._

"Absorb?" Tsukasa put her hands on her belly fearfully.

"You know, Kyubey, I think you're right," said Konata. "Didn't I say something like that months ago, you guys? You're such total opposites, if you didn't look alike I wouldn't believe you were related. I even asked you about your favorite colors-"

"White-" said Tsukasa immediately, remembering the conversation.

"- and black," finished Kagami. "The furball might be on to something."

"Kyubey," said Homura, narrowing her violet eyes, "if your theory is correct, wouldn't that mean that Tsukasa-san is more vulnerable to attack?"

At that, Tsukasa shrank backward and whimpered.

_Not necessarily._ Kyubey tilted his head. _It could be so, but aside from that first incident on the train, Tsukasa has never been targeted. If I had to guess, I'd say that Kagami is their top priority. After all, it was _her_ counterpart that birthed Vittoria. Naturally, Tsukasa would be of lesser interest to them._

Under the table, Kagami took Tsukasa's hand and squeezed it tight. "Doesn't matter. If they come after you, I'm making them regret it, powers or no powers."

"_Onee-chan_…"

"That's all well and good, but like I said earlier, what now?" said Konata. "We know there should be four of them left. We know they're trying to make Kagamin despair enough to turn her into this Vittoria thing… and they know enough about her, about _us_, to make sure that whatever they do hurts bad… How do we protect ourselves against that?"

"They want to drive all of us apart," said Homura, her face falling into shadow. "Separated, we're far weaker than we are together. As long as we keep supporting each other, the Demons can't-"

There was a soft knock at the door, making them all jump.

"Sounds like somebody else can't sleep either," muttered Kagami. "Yeah?"

Inori opened the door just slightly and peeked through the crack. "Forgive me for interrupting," the oldest Hiiragi sister said in her soft, breathy voice, "but I was just bringing up your futons, and, well… we're one short."

The four around the table exchanged glaces as they processed that information.

"I'm very sorry, Izumi-san, Akemi-san," said Inori, bowing to them. "We've never had five extra people in the house overnight before…"

There followed a very confused, overlapping argument as each of the four girls tried to force more comfortable sleeping arrangements on the other. "I don't require a futon to sleep, I can-" "Screw that, you are _not_ sleeping on the floor. I'll do it." "I-I can take the couch downstairs, and you can take my bed, Kona-chan, then Akemi-san can-" "No, that won't work, I think Yui-_nee-san_'s passed out down there, I can hear her snoring. Maybe-"

Inori watched them debate in fascination, as did Kyubey from the table, unseen to her.

Again and again the four of them stalled, started up again, and talked over each other, until-

"Well, hey," said Konata. "We're all girls, right? One pair of us could double up…"

The room fell silent as Kagami, Tsukasa, and Homura turned various shades of red, and Konata settled into her favorite cat smile. One could almost see the gears turning in her head.

"Uh," said Kagami, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly. "Konata, are you _sure_ that's-"

"Oh, c'mon, it's just for one night," Konata chuckled, waving her hand. "It beats making someone take the floor, doesn't it? Where's your sense of adventure, Kagamin?"

_Sense of adventure, my ass!_ thought Kagami so savagely that Kyubey's ears perked up. She opened her mouth to argue, but no sound would come out.

"Um," said Inori at the door. "If someone wants _my_ bed, I can-"

"No, no, Inori-san, we'll be fine!" Konata stood up, leaned across the table, and grabbed Tsukasa's arm. "C'mon, I'll set up in your room. Maybe it was all that tea, but I _do_ feel tired all of a sudden." She stretched both arms above her head and let out a theatrical, exaggerated yawn.

"B-But-" Tsukasa stammered, looking from one face to another.

"It'll be fun!" Konata was resembling the Cheshire Cat again. She leaned close to Tsukasa and whispered, "Besides, this will give us some time alone. You still need to tell me about you and Miyuki-san…"

That sentence took the will to fight out of Tsukasa completely. In shock and completely incoherent, she was swiftly pulled out of the room, shooting fleeting, desperate glances at Kagami all the while.

"Seriously, Tsukasa, it's fine! We've done this before, right?" laughed Konata as she pushed Tsukasa down the hall. Just before she passed the frame, she stuck her head back in and gave Kagami an enormous wink. "See ya tomorrow, Kagamin~! Sleep well!"

The door swung closed, leaving the two of them alone apart from Kyubey, who still sat on the table patiently.

For ten minutes, neither of them spoke or looked at each other.

"Kyubey," said Homura finally, her voice barely audible. "If you'd please keep watch over Tsukasa and Izumi-san…"

_Yes, that would make sense._ Kyubey nodded. _It _would_ be illogical for us both to stay in this room. Rest well._ With that he turned on the spot and vanished.

Another long silence followed. Several minutes of it were occupied by Kagami blushing furiously and contemplating various ways of strangling Konata when she got the chance… but when she had exhausted that train of thought, she finally said, "Are you… all right?" _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ screamed her inner voice. _Of course she's not, idiot!_

"Yes. No," said Homura, staring down at the grain on the table. "I… I don't know."

"Homura, I-" Kagami stopped. What was there to say? What could she possibly do to help relieve Homura of the pain of what had happened to her? "If you don't want to talk, then we can just-" Absently, her hand reached for Homura's shoulder-

- and Homura shied away from her touch as if it threatened to burn her.

Mentally, Kagami kicked herself. "Oh God, I'm sorry! I didn't even think-"

Turning away from her, Homura said something too softly to make out.

"Wh-what was that?"

"I said it's not your fault." All Kagami could see was her long curtain of black hair. "If I said I didn't want comfort from you, that would be a lie. But… but when you touch me, even if it's just for that…"

"Homura…" Kagami drew her hand back into her lap, completely ashamed of herself.

"I feel…" Her shoulders shook. "I feel like… like she's poisoned my feelings for you. I don't want to be afraid, I don't want to run from you, but I can't think of you, of _us_, without feeling her touching me, hurting me…"

Kagami's eyes swam with tears as her heart broke for the other girl. "I want to help. Really, I do. But talking about _us_ hurts too much…" Her eyes wandered to the bright red ribbon in Homura's hair. "Then talk to me about _her._"

Finally, Homura turned around, and met her eyes directly for the first time in hours. "How… how did you know about-"

Kagami shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I know she was important to you… I've seen you touching that ribbon when you think no one's watching. It was from her, wasn't it? Just… tell me about her. Tell me anything you like, I promise I'll listen. What was her name?"

Slowly, hesitantly, Homura began to smile through her tears. "Her name was Madoka…"

**END OF CHAPTER 18**


	19. Chapter 19: I Think I Have an Answer

**CHAPTER 19: I Think Have an Answer**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

"Do you understand now?" said Homura softly when she had finished.

Kagami sat in stunned silence. She had listened first with interest, then with horror, then in tears as Homura Akemi told the story. That story was unlike anything she could have imagined, more beautiful and terrible and sad than she had the words to express. Did she understand? It was difficult if not impossible to answer. "I…" She swallowed heavily. Could she ever fully understand the black-haired girl sitting across the table, understand her sorrows, her guilt, her grief? Could she ever comprehend the depth of the friendship Homura had fought to protect, and the one selfless wish that had saved her and countless others from dying in despair? _A full and perfect sacrifice for the whole world_. The phrase floated through her mind; she had heard it many times before, at the Christian church where she and Tsukasa sang Christmas carols every winter. "I don't really know what to think," admitted Kagami, clenching her hands in her lap. "What you've gone through, it's… It's more than anyone should bear. But… what _she_ did for you…" She drew in a breath, feeling her eyes sting again. "I know you loved her, I understand why... and I understand now why it would hurt to… to have feelings for me, after all you went through together." A shaky little laugh escaped her lips before she could stop it. "H-Hell, I don't even know if I'm worthy of those feelings. I told you before, I'm not that special-"

"That's not true." Homura shook her head. "You're more than you think you are, Kagami, more than I'm able to explain…"

"But _why_, though?" The question felt somewhat ingratiating to her, but she had to ask it anyway. "After her, out of all people… why me?"

Homura started to speak, then paused, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"No, never mind," said Kagami quickly, waving a hand. "You don't have to say anything more tonight. It's really late, and we should try to get some rest."

Homura's face fell into that neutral mask of hers. The door to her heart had closed, just like that… Kagami found it a little disconcerting. "If you want, I can cast a spell to help…"

"I was hoping you had something like that." Kagami breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll take whatever help you can give."

* * *

><p>An hour later, washed, changed, and under the blankets, Kagami was still wide awake. Perhaps it was the repulsion effect that Kyubey told her about earlier, or perhaps sleep was simply impossible, magic or no magic. Or, she thought, perhaps it was the warm body next to her in bed, breathing softly in a mercifully dreamless slumber, her face angelic in the moonlight.<p>

_Damn it._

For the sixth time in an hour, Kagami turned over to look at her. Right now, her feelings for Homura were so tangled that she doubted she could ever unravel them. She wanted… she didn't know precisely _what_ she wanted. Lots of things, a few of them things that wouldn't help in the least, like embracing her, telling her things would be okay, running her fingers through that long, silky black hair-

_Stop that,_ she thought savagely to herself, her cheeks burning. _There's no way you should be thinking of _that_ right now. Show some self-control, for God's sake._

The kiss, though… just remembering it made her feel a warmth inside that had nothing to do with the blankets or the still summer night air. For just a moment, they had left everything behind and come together, melding at the lips, and it was _wonderful…_

Kagami sighed and flopped back into her pillow, wondering if these feelings sometimes kept Tsukasa awake as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Takara Household, Tokyo Metropolitan Area<strong>

_Damn her. It's all her fault._

Desideria stared angrily at her reflection in Miyuki Takara's vanity mirror. She was naked again; clothing seemed too confining right now. From this angle, she couldn't see the wound on the back of her leg, but it was still there. It had closed quickly enough, but it _hurt_, and the mark remained… which was impossible, it should have faded long before now. No mere wooden sword should have been able to scratch her, let alone leave a lingering scar. Worse still, the mark remained no matter what shape she took, always in the same spot.

_Damn her. It's all her fault._

"Did you know, Miyuki?" she whispered to the girl's reflection. Miyuki's glasses, with the Lair and its prisoner still tucked safely inside, were neatly folded and resting on the vanity. "Did you know Kagami Hiiragi was capable of hurting me?" The question was rhetorical; of course Miyuki didn't know. Kagami herself didn't know how deeply her sword had cut. The Second was feeling pain for the first time in her existence… and she hated it, despised it with a fiery passion. However, hatred did her no good now. The mark was still there, the pain was still there, and to her frustration she couldn't make either go away.

_Damn her. It's all her fault._

There was only one thing to do. It was dangerous, and it might well blow her cover, but her disguise would be worthless anyway if someone saw the mark and started asking questions…

There was no other choice. She would have to feed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

The tinny strains of Pachelbel's_ Canon in D_ woke Tsukasa from a pleasant dream… something about a large, friendly hippo and a man in a suit saying very strange things about cheese. "_Uwaah!_" She squeaked and flailed at her bedside table, still half-asleep, her fingers closing around her little clamshell cell phone more by luck than skill. Briefly she panicked, hoping that the ringtone hadn't woken anyone else in the house…

She needn't have worried. A huge, rumbling snore drifted up from the futon on the floor next to her bed. Konata lay sprawled across it at an odd angle, her mouth wide open, a thread of drool hanging from her lower lip. Whatever noise the phone made, Konata drowned it out.

Konata had grilled her mercilessly, of course. The moment they were safely inside Tsukasa's room with the door shut, she demanded details on how she and Miyuki had started out, what led to it, what Tsukasa's first reaction was, and how far they had gone, squealing with surprise and delight at each new revelation. Only by making her swear up and down not to disclose said details to anyone else was Tsukasa able to relax enough to even think about sleep… thankfully, Konata pledged to be true to her word.

Even so, sleep had been hard in coming. Knowing that on the other side of the wall, Kagami and Homura were together, in the same bed… It was hypocritical of her to be so concerned, she knew, but she couldn't help it. Despite them coming clean, despite now knowing everything, trusting Homura Akemi with her sister was still too much to ask. There was something about the Puella Magi that made Tsukasa shiver.

Presently, her attention was called back to the phone. Puzzled as to who could be calling at such a late hour, Tsukasa checked the cell's screen. It was Miyuki's number… The faint electronic light cast a pale blue glow over her face as she flipped it open and read the simple text message: _I need you now._

Fumbling with the buttons, Tsukasa slowly padded out a reply with her thumbs: _yuki-chan, u ok? what's wrong? _ (;° _°)

In a few moments came another text. _I'm scared. I heard what happened tonight, and I need to see you. I know it's far too late to meet at home, can you please come to a hotel?_

Hotel? Did she mean… But of course she did, why else would she specify? Her eyes widening at Miyuki's boldness, Tsukasa typed another reply, even slower this time, as her hands were shaking. _hotel? u sure?_

_ Yes,_ said the next text. _I will wait for you._ There followed an address, of a place in the next district over. _Please hurry._

_OK._ \(^_^) Tsukasa hit the "send" button and clicked the phone shut. Silently she slipped out of bed and tiptoed past Konata to her closet. Miyuki needed her, so she had to go, it was simple as that. Still, as she unbuttoned her pajamas and let them fall to the floor, a single doubting thought pierced through her concern for her lover: _I can't believe I'm doing this._

Quickly she dressed and retrieved her wallet, stuffing it into her handbag. She would need money for the bus… she hoped the fares didn't increase this late at night. Tsukasa stole a backwards glance at her alarm clock as she pried her bedroom door open, praying it wouldn't creak: the clock read _2:28 AM._ She swallowed heavily and stepped out, easing it closed behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hours Later<strong>

"_Ahhh… _oh _God…_" Tsukasa's hips bucked, and a wave of bliss spread outward from somewhere below her tummy to the very tips of her fingers and toes, leaving her flesh tingling… She fell forward on the hotel bed, collapsing between Miyuki's splayed legs, ridiculously happy. Whatever doubts she had were swept away by that wave… Miyuki needed her. She needed Miyuki. So what if it was late?

"I'm so glad you're safe, Tsukasa-chan. I was so worried…" Miyuki's voice was heavy, down at her midsection.

_Tsukasa-chan. Isn't that nice._ She giggled drowsily and patted Miyuki's knee. "S'aright, Yuki-chan. We'll be fine. We'll be okay." Then she frowned, noticing something strange. "Yuki-chan…" she said, "Where did you get this scar?"

"Scar?" There was a sharp intake of breath that Tsukasa didn't hear.

"Right here." Still frowning, Tsukasa traced the long, thin line that ran from the back of Miyuki's knee to her calf. "I've never noticed it before."

The sheets rustled as Miyuki shifted position, turning around. "It's nothing, Tsukasa-chan," she whispered as she caressed Tsukasa's face, but her eyes were troubled. "It's nothing."

"I don't understand." Tsukasa's lower lip trembled. "Did you get hurt? Maybe we should get you to a doc… tor…"

Her voice trailed off as Miyuki's delicate fingertip pressed against a particular spot on the back of her neck. She felt something wet, and all of a sudden the scar didn't matter anymore… Miyuki was all right, everything was fine. Tsukasa's face slid into a dreamy smile as her blue eyes glazed over slightly. Miyuki was making strange noises, almost like she was coming again, but it was all right, everything was fine.

In a few moments, Miyuki's finger went away, and Tsukasa collapsed against her, resting her cheek against her breast. "All better now," Miyuki whispered, tracing her fingertip over her lover's ear. "There's no need to worry."

"No need to worry," repeated Tsukasa, closing her eyes and melting into the other girl's touch. "All better now."

"That's right, Tsukasa-chan." Miyuki leaned down and planted a kiss on her head. She stretched out her long, shapely leg, admiring its curves and now-flawless pale skin. "Thank you."

"Anything for you, Yuki-chan," said Tsukasa, nuzzling her gently. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now, we'd better get dressed… we both need to get home before our families notice that we're missing. We don't want them to worry."

"No, no we don't…"

* * *

><p><strong>Four Hours Later<strong>

"Kagami?"

Her eyelids fluttered. She sat up and stretched, surprised that she had somehow fallen asleep. "Yeah, I'm up," Kagami said, punctuating it with a yawn. "Looks like we made it through the night…"

"We did," said Homura, as if she could scarcely believe it herself.

They couldn't have asked for a better morning. Columns of golden sunlight streamed through the windows, making the horror of last night seem less like reality and more like a bad dream… Kagami could already hear the song of cicadas mixing with faint chopping and bubbling noises… the sweet, slightly greasy aroma of frying sausage was drifting up from downstairs. Someone was making breakfast. "What time is it?"

"Half-past eight."

"Good thing it's Sunday… I don't think I could face school today."

Homura stood patiently by the bedside with her hands clasped behind her back. She was changed into her school uniform, which looked fresh and immaculate as ever... one would think she never slept.

"You don't have to wear that, you know," said Kagami, looking her over with one eye as she rubbed sleep out of the other. "I'm sure either Tsukasa or I have something in your size that you can borrow…"

"I don't want to impose-"

"Stop it. It's fine, just as long as you don't take one of my ratty old t-shirts this time."

Homura fidgeted. "Kagami, I-"

"Wait," said Kagami, holding up a hand. "Before you say anything… there's something I wanted to ask you last night. I didn't really know how…" A blush crept up from her cheeks. "And I didn't want to make you feel any worse after… you know."

"What is it?" Homura tilted her head to one side.

Kagami took a deep breath and forged ahead. "It's about your Soul Gem," she said, determined to get this out. "Is it really… you?"

There was a long, dreadful moment of silence, during which Kagami feared that Homura would disappear again. She could almost see that temptation on the other girl's face… but then…

"It's true," she said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes disappeared into shadow beneath her bangs. "This body…" Her voice began to tremble slightly. "It's a fake, a construct of magic, created when I made my contract."

"And that's why you don't want me or Tsukasa or Konata to become magical girls," said Kagami, understanding at last. "You didn't tell them why, because-"

It was only a slight movement, but Homura cringed.

"Because Tsukasa and I are the focal points, and that would ruin everything, right? But it's more than that, you're scared they won't believe you, or… or they'll hate you because of it. Like you were scared I would… Homura…"

The Puella Magi started to turn around. "Please, don't. Don't look at me that way-"

Again, Kagami started to reach for her by instinct, then thought the better of it. "Homura, I don't care _what_ your body is, whether it's fake or not. When we kissed last night…" Her blush returned, and the words tumbled out in a rush. "It was real. I care about _you_, not contracts or magic or anything like that! Please, believe me…"

Homura bowed her head slightly. Her left hand rose up to her face; she was studying the amethyst stone in her ring as if memorizing its appearance. "It's confusing…" Her voice was so quiet that Kagami had to lean forward to hear her. "Feeling this way, caring for you… it's so different from how I cared for _her_… but in so many ways it's the same. I don't-" She paused, dropping her hand and clenching her fist. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to act when I'm around you, or when you're so kind to me, and I'm still afraid of what the Demon did to me… but…"

Homura trembled as she turned around and took a seat on the bed, her eyes still hidden. She trembled as she uncurled the fingers of her left hand, and slowly, slowly reached for Kagami's hand. "But I swear to you, I'll try."

Their fingers touched and intertwined.

"Thank you, Homura," said Kagami, moved by the gesture.

The Puella Magi's eyes met hers. "I think I have an answer," she said softly.

"An answer?"

"'Why me?' You asked that last night. I think I can answer you now."

"Ho-Homura, th-that's okay, you d-don't have to-"

"You listened," said Homura, starting to smile, just a bit. It was enough. "You've always listened to me, believed what I had to say… believed in me, even when you had every right not to. That's why."

By now Kagami's face was glowing scarlet, and deepening by the second. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her… how on earth could she respond? "Th-thank you, I, uh… I don't really know what to say-"

Her stomach let out a growl so loud that Homura drew back in shock.

Laughing with embarrassment, Kagami rubbed the back of her head. "… except maybe that we should go downstairs and get breakfast."

* * *

><p>When Kagami turned the corner into the kitchen, her brain stopped working for a moment. She had been prepared to see her mother or father, or maybe Inori or Matsuri, or hell, even <em>Konata<em> standing in front of the stove fixing breakfast, but… "_Tsukasa?!_" She gaped, she couldn't help it. "You're awake… on a _Sunday…_"

Her sister giggled and waved a spoon in a nonchalant way. "G'morning, _onee-chan_, Akemi-san. Surprise!"

Already seated at the table, Konata beamed her cat-smile at them. "Sleep well, you two?"

That brought Kagami out of her daze. "_Oi,_ you…" she started, then she sighed and shook her head. "Never mind, it can wait. Where's everybody else?"

"They ate already, they wanted to let us sleep in. Yui-_nee-san_ took Yu-chan home and drove Dad to the police station… I think he's going to help set up a neighborhood watch or something, in case we have more 'delinquents', you know." She clicked her chopsticks together for emphasis. "I think your mom and dad and sisters are at the shrine."

"Kyubey, is everything quiet?" said Homura as she sat down, folding her hands in her lap.

_Yes,_ said Kyubey. He was perched on the counter, watching Tsukasa cook with some interest. _I detected no unusual energy signatures. You know… _He tilted his head and stared at the pork links that were sizzling in a frying pan. _I find it very unusual how you humans choose which animals to eat and which to keep as pets. You eat pigs, cows, birds, and fish, but why not eat dogs or rats? The choice of which meat to consume seems somewhat arbitrary._

"_Bleah!_" Kagami made a revolted face as she took her own seat. "_Please_ don't be creepy until we've had our breakfast, okay?"

Abruptly Tsukasa burst into laughter, almost slicing open her fingers with the knife she was using to chop vegetables for the omlettes. Everyone stared at her in confusion.

"Hey, Tsukasa, what's up? Are you okay?" said Konata, starting to stand up.

"Hee hee… I-I'm fine… ha ha ha… it's just…" gasped Tsukasa, who had dropped the knife and was leaning over the cutting board, trying to catch her breath. "I never noticed it until just now… ha ha… _Onee-chan_, y-you and Kyubey…"

Baffled, Kagami raised an eyebrow. "What _about_ me and the furball?"

The answer was muffled as Tsukasa clapped a hand over her mouth. "You… your voices sound the same! You talk so differently, but you sound alike…"

"_What?!_" Flustered at the very idea, Kagami turned a spectacular shade of beet red. "We do _not!_"

_Do we?_ Kyubey tilted in the opposite direction, turning his stare on Kagami.

"You know, you're right, now that I think about it!" Looking back and forth from one to the other, Konata grinned even wider and started tittering. "That's so _weird!_"

"Sh-shut up! Tsukasa, that's crazy, there's no _way_-"

_How very fascinating. Human ears must be tuned to different harmonics, I don't hear a resemblance at all._

"There _is_ no resemblance! Homura, talk some sense into them!"

Homura was lost for words. After giving Kagami a helpless, apologetic glance, she merely sat back and watched, sipping her tea as Konata and Tsukasa dissolved into gales of laughter, Kagami's protests grew louder and louder, the omlettes began to burn, and Kyubey sat watching it all with the same frozen expression.

* * *

><p>"<em>Huwaaah~<em>," sighed Konata after they had finished, leaning back from the table and patting her belly. "_Gochisousama_… that was terrific, Tsukasa."

"I bet _anything_ tastes terrific when you live on chocolate cornets," sniped Kagami, jabbing a chopstick in her direction.

Tsukasa bowed slightly. "I'm sorry I burnt some of the eggs…"

"That's all right, I like 'em that way. So, down to business!"

"Business?" said Homura, setting down her empty bowl. The omlettes _were_ delicious; she made a mental note to ask Tsukasa for the recipe.

"Yeah. I figure we all need to decide what comes next. For starters… what do we tell Miyuki-san about all this?"

The Hiiragi sisters' faces fell.

"Miyuki has a right to know," said Kagami, feeling the happiness of the meal start to fade away as reality set in.

"She does, but…" Tsukasa stuck out her lip. "Yuki-chan's so, well, skittish. Do you think she can handle something like this?"

"I'd advise against telling her unless it's absolutely necessary," said Homura. "The fewer people know the truth, the easier it is to keep what's happening a secret."

"But shouldn't we at least tell her _something_, so she doesn't worry? I mean, she might notice the four of us acting strangely..."

Kagami looked Homura in the eye. "This is your mission, it's your call."

Homura thought for a moment, then nodded. "When the time is right, we'll let her know… just enough to understand the danger. Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"Mmm-hmm," said Konata, folding her arms across her chest. "And obviously we can't tell our parents. They'd never understand, and I already gave them a cover story…"

"Yeah, _Bomber Bikers of Shonan_, where did you come up with that_?_ Wasn't that show on before any of us were born?"

"Shush, Kagamin, it's a classic."

Tsukasa fidgeted, somewhat downcast. "I feel bad lying to them, though…"

"I do too, but it's necessary," said Kagami, patting her sister on the shoulder. "At least there's not too many left… just four, right?"

"If the Second was telling the truth." Homura's gaze grew dark.

"I wish I could have killed her when I had the chance," Kagami growled, clenching her fists.

"You'll get another chance, Kagamin, I know you will. And when you do, I wanna watch you go all kendo badass on her." Konata swung her uninjured hand around in an approximation of swordfighting. "_Chan chanbara~!_ I wish I could give her one myself…"

Kyubey's ears perked up at that, but at a withering glare from Homura he shrank back down.

"Anyway. Let's talk about something more fun," said Konata, with an excited gleam in her eye.

Kagami knew that gleam, and suppressed a shudder of dread. "Oh no, what are you plotting…?"

"_Fufufu~_," the smalled girl chuckled. "Come on, Kagamin! It's Sunday, it's a beautiful day, and Akemi-san needs an education."

Homura stared at her, completely at a loss. "'Education?'"

"About your _sempai_, your fellow magical girls!" Konata clapped a hand on her shoulder, making her start. "You've _gotta_ learn about them, it's your heritage! And I know the best place in the world to start you off…"

"Oh dear God," moaned Kagami. "Please tell me you don't mean-"

"_Akihabara_," whispered Konata, her eyes shining with reverence.

**END OF CHAPTER 19**


	20. Chapter 20: In the Shadow of Your Heart

_***Authors' Note: Thanks to the nearly 14,000 of you who have read _STARS ABOVE_ over the past year! Forz and I appreciate every one of your comments, questions, criticisms, and favorites. Keep the feedback coming! - BHS***_

_Lyrics excerpted from "Cosmic Love", written by Florence Welch and Isabella Summers, ©2010 Universal Music Publishing Group._

**CHAPTER 20: In the Shadow of Your Heart**

**Nanatsuen Costume Boutique, Akihabara**

**Three Weeks Later**

"You know," said Kagami, shifting on the small wooden bench that sat outside the dressing rooms, in a vain attempt to make herself more comfortable, "Somehow, I get the impression that you're not taking this whole thing seriously."

"What makes you say that?" asked Konata, tilting her head to one side.

Kagami raised an eyebrow and jerked her head toward the growing stack of magical girl anime, manga, games, and merchandise that surrounded Konata on her side of the bench, almost hiding her from view. "Call it a hunch."

By the time Kagami finally convinced Homura to go with them on Konata's Akihabara "pilgrimage", summer was well underway, and her and Tsukasa's shared birthday was just over the horizon. At first, Homura had refused outright. Kagami could hardly blame her; she was still trying to cope with the trauma of what Desideria had done to her, and going out with friends to an overcrowded tourist trap like Akihabara hardly seemed the way to help. Konata's insistence had won Kagami over, however. Maybe it was some innate ability of Konata's to sway others, or maybe it was the earnestness of her desire to be friends with Homura… Kagami didn't know, but she eventually concluded that maybe a day out with Konata really _was_ something they both needed.

So she told Konata she would try, and then she waited. For over three weeks, she helped with the healing process as best she could. Some days were better than others. On the good days, it sometimes seemed Homura's shell really was cracking, and she would occasionally give a small smile or even a quiet, polite little laugh. Those days, Kagami could almost forget everything and simply enjoy her company, like they were nothing more than an ordinary teenage couple.

The bad days were wrenching, grueling, heartbreaking ordeals. These were the days when Homura's despair threatened to overwhelm them both. A few times she had appeared in Kagami's room without a word and collapsed shaking into her arms, unable to stand, unable to cry, unable to speak. When this happened, Kagami would hold her carefully, delicately, and try to comfort her without words. Usually in an hour or so, the shaking would stop, and she would leave as suddenly as she appeared.

The worst days, however, were the ones in which she grew so angry or bitter that she would retreat into herself, returning to the stone-faced, emotionless Homura that she had been when they first met. Just trying to talk to her in that state was maddening, and it often took a round of furious kendo practice on the straw dummy in the back yard for her to begin to feel better. Kagami tried her best to be patient, knowing that it wasn't her fault, that Homura didn't really mean to be cold to her, that she could hardly be blamed for shutting her out after what had happened, but still. Sometimes she wanted to scream into a pillow, break things, tear her hair, simply say to hell with the whole thing... After that, of course, the guilt would set in, she would call Homura to apologize, or vice-versa, and the whole erratic cycle of emotions would repeat itself.

Eventually, when the good days started outnumbering the bad ones, Kagami began to bring up the subject of the Akihabara trip again. She waited through stubborn refusals, then wavering, then finally resigned acceptance… Satisfied, she had gone back to Konata with the good news. With the understanding that Konata wasn't to push too hard, they had made plans and set out on one sunny Saturday afternoon.

Tsukasa insisted on coming with them for at least part of the day, and so did Miyuki, surprisingly. They decided to make it a date… now that their relationship was out in the open, Kagami assumed they wanted to take full advantage of it. She wondered about that; a few times in the past two weeks, she had overheard some of the long, serious discussions her parents had been having, sometimes with Tsukasa, and sometimes not. They were being supportive as best they could, thankfully, and they were obviously glad that it was Miyuki Tsukasa was dating and not some stranger, but it was clear they still had lingering concerns. For now, they seemed to be putting Tsukasa's happiness ahead of those concerns… and Tsukasa _was_ happy, radiantly so. Strange and foreign as the idea was, Kagami reluctantly had to admit that she and Miyuki really _did_ seem like a good match for each other… as long as they kept the sex and the kissing in private, she could handle it.

"It's just my way of dealing with the weirdness," said Konata with a grin, reaching over her pile of boxes to pat Kagami on the shoulder. "Like yours is being _tsundere_ and Akemi-san's is going all spooky and quiet. We all have ways to deal."

"Yeah, but remember what I said about pushing her, please," sighed Kagami. "I know too well how you usually deal with things. Keep it under control, and don't be perverted like you are with me. _I_ can put up with that, _she_ can't."

Konata went very quiet. "Kagamin, that hurts… You really think I would try _that_ on her?" To Kagami's astonishment, her tone was genuinely wounded.

Ignoring the stab of guilt that was becoming much too familiar, Kagami frowned down at her. "How am I supposed to know? I can't tell when you're being serious, if you ever are… and you're always making cracks about my breasts, or hugging me in public…"

"I do that because I _know_ you," said Konata. There was no mistaking her seriousness now. "Like I know Tsukasa and Miyuki. We're best friends, and we know each other so well that that kind of thing's okay. Come on, don't you make fun of me all the time for being an otaku?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Akemi-san is different," said Konata, dropping her voice. "A little teasing is fine, but I'd _never_ be _ecchi_ with her. Not ever, not after what she's gone through."

Kagami stared at her incredulously. "You know?"

"Kagamin, really, give me some credit, I'm not as clueless as I come off. I've been playing and watching adult games and anime since I was a little kid, I know the signs." Konata looked away. "You think I haven't noticed her flinching, even around you? She's been hurt, really bad." She looked down into her lap and wrung her hands together. "I'm glad that I don't remember much. Just from what you guys told us…"

"Konata…" Now it was Kagami's turn to reach for her. "Come here. I'm sorry."

The smaller girl shifted a few of her boxes to one side and slid over on the bench. She tilted sideways and leaned her head against Kagami's shoulder. "It's okay," said Konata. "Everything's gonna be okay someday. We just have to believe that."

Far from reassuring her, Konata's weight against her made her churn with even more conflicted feelings. Something else had happened that night, something she had been _very_ reluctant to bring up, or even think about… "Konata," she said quietly. "About that night… one of the Demons was telling me all these things, trying to… to hurt me. And she said… she said that you…"

"That I what?"

Kagami swallowed. The moment of truth. "That you had… feelings for me."

"Oh, that."

That response caught her off guard. "'Oh, that'? What is 'Oh, that' supposed to mean?"

Strangely, Konata was smiling. "Well, she's right, in a way. I guess I've always sort of had fantasies, you know, about you being my girlfriend…"

Kagami started to turn red and fought the urge to shove Konata away. _Oh God,_ fantasies._ She's had fantasies... why did you have to put it that way?!_

"I wanted to bring it up a couple times, but every time I tried you were always too bitchy to take me seriously. Oh, don't make that face, you know it's true," said Konata as Kagami opened her mouth to protest. "Really, even on one of your good days, you'd think I was joking, right?"

"I-" she stammered.

"Of course you would. That's just the way we are, always throwing insults back and forth… it'd be weird if it were anything different. So now that Akemi-san's here, and she's your girlfriend-"

Kagami flushed hot. "She's not my-"

"Shut up, Kagamin, yes she is. Now that she's here, well, I guess I'm out of luck. I triggered the Unlucky Best Friend flag." Surprisingly, the smaller girl's tone was bittersweet. "I had plenty of chances, but I lost, game over. But I'm not gonna be all _yandere_ and go crazy with jealousy from losing you, you know… just because I wish it was me instead of her doesn't mean I can't be happy for the two of you, because really, I am."

Kagami bit the inside of her lip. Now her guilt wasn't just stabbing, it was piercing straight through. Was it really true, what the Second had said? Was Homura's presence a disruption? If it weren't for her, would Konata have had her chance? _Should_ she have had her chance, for that matter? _Stop,_ she thought, rousing herself from her fit of self-doubt. _There's no point in wondering about what-ifs and could-haves and never-weres. This is hard enough without second-guessing my feelings. We just have to forge ahead with the choices we make…_ She swallowed. "You mean that, Konata?"

"'Course I do, you're adorable together. It's totally _moe_." Now she was smiling her familiar cat-smile again. "You'd just better make me maid of honor at the wedding, okay?"

Kagami made a sound somewhere between a groan and a chuckle as she lightly punched her friend' shoulder. To her relief, the moment of painful truth-bearing seemed to be over; now they were back to normal with each other. "Oh, knock it off. The day I mention a wedding to Homura is the day she disappears forever."

"Speaking of Akemi-san…" Konata sat upright and looked over at the entrance to the dressing rooms. "She's been in there for a long time. Do you think she's all right?"

"I dunno, let's check." With a tinge of worry, Kagami stood up, stretched, and leaned into the doorframe. "Homura? Are you still in there?"

The answer came quietly and simply in a single word. "Yes."

Konata joined Kagami at the frame. "Well, come on out, let's see how it looks on you!"

Another single-word answer: "No."

Now Kagami felt more than just a tinge. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

A long pause. "… These clothes are embarrassing."

Sighing, Kagami allowed herself to relax a bit. "That's all?! _Dammit_, you scared me! It's all right, Homura, you don't have to-"

"Are you crazy? I wanna see!"

"Konata, enough. She said she doesn't want to, don't push it."

"But she'd look so perfect in it! Come on, _pleeeease?_ I've had this one in mind ever since I first saw her, even before I knew she was a-"

"_Konata…_"

The voice from the dressing room interrupted them. There was hesitation in it. "Izumi-san, is this… truly that important to you?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Konata's eyes sparkled. "Please, come out… I won't even take that many pictures, honest!"

Another long pause. "Three pictures."

"Aww, just three?"

"Three, that's all." Homura's tone indicated that she wouldn't budge on the matter. "And you won't share them on the Internet, or with anyone else besides the three of us."

A little crestfallen, Konata slumped her shoulders, admitting defeat. "All right, only three pictures, I promise."

"You'd _better_ keep that promise," warned Kagami, raising a fist.

"I will, I will!" Her eyes were already shining with excitement.

"And Kagami…" Homura's voice hesitated again.

Kagami craned her neck up. "Yeah?"

"Please, don't laugh."

She had to smile at that. She'd said the exact same thing the first time Konata dragged her into something like this. "I'd never. It's okay, come on out. There's nobody here but us."

Very slowly, the wooden privacy door was pushed open… and out she stepped. Far from wanting to laugh, Kagami had to force herself to keep her mouth from dropping open in awe. Damn it all, Konata was right. She _was_ perfect for this costume.

It was a sort of combination between a superheroine outfit and a school uniform. The main body was a white leotard, with a red sailor collar and a big purple bow with a crimson brooch. The pleated skirt was short… _very_ short, probably designed to show off the wearer's bare legs, and oh, what legs they were. Pale as alabaster, slender and curvy and seemingly going on forever… at least, until the eye traveled down to the fire-engine red heels. Her forearms were clad in elbow-length satin gloves with round red cuffs. She had a simple choker around her neck, and sported a pair of star-shaped earrings, also red. The ensemble was topped off with a golden tiara set with a _faux_ ruby, nestled underneath her black bangs. Wearing a neutral expression that did not quite mask her trepidation, Homura brushed her long hair back, looked at both of them, and asked, "How do I look?"

Even if Kagami had been able to answer, it would have been drowned out by Konata's ear-rending fangirl squeal of delight. "_Kyaaaaaa~!_ Akemi-san, you're like the best Sailor Mars _ever!_ Turn around, turn around!"

Homura did so, a little unsteadily. The heels were giving her trouble. "Like this?"

"Holy crap, _yes!_ You're amazing, you could be Rei-chan's twin sister…" Konata's arms waved in a blur of ecstatic motion. "You've even got like the same personality she has in the manga, all elegant and mysterious and stuff! Not like the anime Rei-chan, she's more hotheaded and grumpy like Kagamin…"

That, at least, was able to snap Kagami out of her trance. "_Oi,_ watch it, short stuff."

Homura turned to her. "Well? How do _you_ think it looks?"

Looking her up and down and trying uselessly to keep her cheeks from burning, Kagami gave the only honest response she could think of: "You're beautiful."

The corners of Homura's mouth curled upward into a smile, a _real_ smile. "Thank you."

She smiled back and felt warmth spread through her body, like stepping into a ray of summer sunlight. "Anytime."

Konata ignored them both. She was already flipping open her phone and readying her camera. "Okay, only three pictures, so we gotta make 'em count. Can you do the Fire Soul pose? Here, here's a screencap…"

Bracing herself against the wall, Homura leaned forward into the glow of the tiny screen, looked at the picture, and frowned. "I'm not certain I can balance doing that, Izumi-san," she said flatly. "This entire costume is extremely impractical. It provides almost no protection, the jewelry and ornamentation only gets in the way, and the shoes hinder maneuverability. Frankly, any Puella Magi who wore something like this to battle a Demon would be dead in seconds."

Kagami clapped a hand over her mouth and attempted to disguise her laughter as a sudden coughing fit.

Fortunately, Konata's enthusiasm was undeterred. "Well, _yeah_, it's impractical, it's supposed to be sexy! Come on, can you just try?"

"You might as well," said Kagami. "Better that pose than something even _more _embarrassing. You should have seen what she talked me into wearing the first time we came here…"

"You'll have to tell me later," she said, clearly already curious about it. "All right, Izumi-san, I'll do my best." She wobbled carefully over to their left, where a green screen was spread over the wall for the benefit of those who wanted backgrounds and digital effects added to their pictures. Homura clasped her hands, raised her index fingers, and spread her legs out into a wide stance, mimicking the reference picture as best she could. "Like this, Izumi-san?"

"_Perfect!"_ said Konata, raising the phone to her eye level. "Now hold still. I'll be done in just a sec." She shut one eye and stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. _Flash, flash, flash_ went the camera in quick succession… then it buzzed in her hand as the slightly garbled sound of some rock song came from the speaker: "_I was made to hit in America / I was made to hit in America / I was made to hit in-_" "That's Patty-chan from work," Konata said to no one in particular as she jabbed buttons. "I wonder what she- Oh, _crap!_"

"What?" said Kagami, leaning over.

"I didn't realize it was this late, I gotta go help the others prep for this afternoon's floor show!"

"Konata, I thought you said you had today off!" Kagami put her hands on her hips in annoyance.

"I do, I do," said Konata, brushing her off. "I'll explain later, right now I have to book it. Take care of my stuff, will you?" She was already heading for the boutique's door.

"Don't just leave us with all of your otaku junk! And what about Homura's costume?!" Kagami shouted after her.

"Most of that stuff's for Akemi-san anyway, it's fine. Just meet me at my café in about an hour and a half, all right? And tell the store manager to put the costume on my tab. Thanks, see you there!" With a cheerful wave, Konata blew out of the shop's door, the bell clanging in her wake.

Bewildered, Homura blinked and returned to a standing position. "Izumi-san has a tab at a cosplay shop?"

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me," grumbled Kagami, kneading her brow. "C'mon, let's get you back into your normal clothes and get out of here. We'll make some time for ourselves before we go see… whatever it is Konata's got planned. I'll let Tsukasa and Miyuki know to meet us there."

* * *

><p><strong>Futatsumaru Sweet Shop, Otome Road, Ikebukuro<strong>

"Tsukasa-chan, you have some ice cream on your nose."

"_Uwaaah!_" Tsukasa scrubbed at her face. "Is it gone?"

"No, it's still there. Allow me." Miyuki smiled and leaned forward, planting a kiss on the very tip of Tsukasa's nose. "Mmm…"

Tsukasa laughed. "_Yuki-chan!_ That was just an excuse to kiss me, wasn't it?"

"Perhaps." She withdrew and licked her lips, then dabbed at her face with a handkerchief. "Perhaps not."

"You're so silly." Tsukasa leaned against her lover's shoulder and sighed, watching shoppers go by. What a perfect day. Lunch with everybody at the train station, then two lovely hours with Miyuki, browsing stores, giggling over a few of the more explicit girls-love doujins in said stores, stopping for ice cream and conversation while people-watching. Even the weather was perfect, bright and sunny without being too hot… the whole day was like a birthday present a week early. She snuggled into Miyuki, full and happy and slightly drowsy, content to just be here for a while, letting the moment last. A few seconds later she felt the familiar sensation of delicate fingers stroking her hair, and a sound almost like a purr escaped her lips. One of the reasons she had wanted time alone with Miyuki during this trip was to finally tell her the truth about Homura and the Demons… but why spoil such a wonderful day with something like that? She decided to let it go, at least until they meet up with Kagami and the others.

"What do you want to do next?" said Miyuki after a while.

"We've still got a little time before we're supposed to meet _onee-chan _at the café. I'm fine with just staying here."

"I am too."

Tsukasa's eyelids began to droop. So many people walking by, most of them girls and young women… she was beginning to think she liked it here, where it was much quieter and less crowded than Akihabara. There weren't as many neon signs or bright, clashing colors, either. True, she did sort of miss the famous Akiba cosplayers, but she could live without them. Her eyes wandered onto a group of three crows, pecking for scraps of food in the street.

She felt Miyuki shift. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thank you," said Miyuki, her fingers stopping. "But someone seems to be watching us."

Reluctantly, Tsukasa raised her head to look. Across the street, peeking out from behind a gingko tree, was a girl about their age, perhaps a little younger. Very sleek and somewhat boyish in figure, she had mint-green hair and intimidating blue eyes, somewhat like Kagami's. It was difficult to tell, as her face was so passive, but she might have been frozen in shock…

Tsukasa blinked. "Who is that, Yuki-chan?"

Miyuki smiled and kissed her forehead. "No one to fret about, I recognize her. That's Minami Iwasaki, she lives across the street from me."

"Really?" Grinning from ear to ear, Tsukasa sat up and waved to the girl. "Iwasaki-san! Hey, Iwasaki-san, don't be shy, come over here!"

The girl, Minami, turned a shade of red that they could see even from across the street. She lingered for only a moment before she fled, and soon she was lost to sight among the mid-afternoon shoppers. The crows scattered as she took off, shedding a few black feathers.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tsukasa stuck her lower lip out.

"No, no, not at all," laughed Miyuki, putting an arm around her. "Perhaps she was just jealous of how beautiful you are."

"Y-Yuki-chan…! You're gonna make me blush…"  
>"You're already blushing," she chided. "Don't worry about it, Minami's not important."<p>

The crows flapped overhead to join a larger flock of their brethren as the two embraced, and their lips met.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Nyoron Café, Akihabara<strong>

"They're late," Kagami groused as she stirred at her soft drink with more vigor than was necessary. "I _know_ I told Tsukasa to meet us at 5:30…"

Kagami and Homura sat together in the semi-darkness of the small café, waiting for the floor show to start. Kagami had been expecting Konata to greet them at the door in her usual Haruhi costume, but surprisingly, she was nowhere to be seen. They were shown to their table by some girl dressed as Tsuruya, who took the extra effort to get the strident laugh right when she took their drink orders, to Kagami's annoyance. Fifteen minutes they had sat there, and no sign of Konata, Tsukasa, _or_ Miyuki. "Do you want to just wait outside?" she said, looking over at her companion. "Homura?"

Homura didn't answer. Her eyes were closed, and her head was down. Her tablet lay in her lap, with a set of tiny earphones connected to it. She had long since changed out of the costume, and now was wearing a simple, dark-colored sundress.

Kagami was still a little wary of touching her without her permission, so she waved to get her attention. "Hey, Homura? Can you hear me?"

Homura opened her eyes and removed one of the buds, tapping the pause button on the tablet's screen. "I apologize. What did you say?"

"I asked if you wanted to wait outside. What were you listening to?"

In lieu of answering, Homura offered one of the buds to Kagami.

Her hand reached for it automatically, then stopped. "Um, are you sure?"

Homura nodded. "It's all right."

She swallowed as she placed the bud in her ear. As Homura tapped the screen again, she heard a primal, driving drumbeat, the lilting of a harp that reminded her of a waterfall, and a woman's voice that was low and rich with emotion… The lyrics were in English, so she didn't catch the meaning of all of them, but the _feeling_ behind them was unmistakably sorrowful, like the singer was desperately crying out for the hand of another…

"_The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out_

_You left me in the dark…"_

"Homura," she whispered.

"_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart…"_

The dark-haired girl closed her eyes again and listened.

"_And in the dark I can hear your heartbeat_

_I tried to find the sound_

_But then it stopped, and I was in the darkness_

_So darkness I became_

_The stars, the moon-"_

"Homura," said Kagami again, a little louder this time. "Are you feeling okay? Do you want to leave?"

"No," she said, shaking her head slightly. "I don't want to leave. I don't want this to end."

"I don't understand, what's wrong?"

"_They have all been blown out…"_

"This time I've spent with you…" Kagami had to strain to hear her over the mournful howl of the lyrics, the percussion's pounding heartbeat. "It's been the best of my life. You've made me feel like… like I'm human again. You and Izumi-san…" She smiled sadly down at the many packages laid at her feet. "You can almost make me forget about it all, and that's something I cannot afford to do. I have to remember…"

"_You left me in the dark_

_No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight_

_In the shadow of your heart…"_

"... why I'm here, what I've fought for all this time. But there are times like today…"

"_I took the stars from my eyes and then I made a map_

_I knew that somehow I could find my way back…"_

"… that I wish, more than anything, that I _could_ forget." She stared down at the gem set in her silver ring, glowing faintly even in the café's dim light. "Some time soon, though… it will all start again. The happiness I have with you can't last. It has to end."

"_And I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too_

_So I stayed in the darkness with you…"_

Kagami leaned toward her and slowly, hesitantly put a hand on her leg. "You're right, it will end, one way or another," she said over the primal drumbeat as her heart ached for the other girl. "Which is why we need to make it count. Hold onto today, treasure it for as long as possible. It's something we have that _they_ can't ever understand. They won't take it from us, I swear it."

A pale hand grasped hers underneath the table, and blessed summer warmth was shared between them. "I believe you. Thank you, Kagami."

Now they were both leaning, millimeter by millimeter, toward each other. Everything else was falling away…

And at that precise moment, a spotlight lit up the little stage at the back of the café. One of the waitresses stood at a microphone… she was dressed as Yuki Nagato, and doing an impeccable job of mimicking the character's single, deadpan expression. "Excuse me," she said in a monotone, bowing low. "On behalf of the management and staff, this establishment would like to make a special announcement." She adjusted her glasses and peered out over the sparsely-attended tables on the restaurant floor. "Are Kagami Hiiragi and Homura Akemi here?"

Both girls froze, still connected by the earbuds. From somewhere above them, another spotlight beamed down on their table. Kagami's blush reached all the way to her ears and crept down her neck, and Homura simply looked baffled.

"Excellent," said the Yuki lookalike, without the slightest indication of happiness… or anything else. "The management understands that Hiiragi-san's seventeenth birthday is next week. We graciously extend to Hiiragi-san and Akemi-san a free meal in honor of this occasion."

There was a round of applause from the other patrons and waitresses, and a few cheers of "_Banzai!_" Homura remained frozen, a deer in headlights, while Kagami tried to sink as low as she could in her seat, doing nothing at all to suppress the fantasies currently roiling in her mind of wringing Konata's tiny neck.

"In addition," continued Yuki, blind to Kagami's mortification, "we are offering to the both of them a special-"

The microphone let out a long, electronic squeal, to which Yuki didn't react at all. A clamor rose from somewhere backstage, things were being knocked over… and then _it_ emerged, a round purple sheet resembling a child's ghost costume soaked with a few gallons of grape juice, with a monster's yellow eyes and grimacing mouth painted on the front. Its arms and clawed hands, clearly made of papier-mâché or plaster, were being manipulated by thin rods poked through the fabric. The thing turned to face the audience… three pairs of shoes were clearly visible under the sheet's hem. A chorus of voices bellowed from underneath it: "_ZAKENNA~!_"

"Oh no," said Yuki in the exact same monotone. One had to admire her dedication to staying in character. "Everyone, there is a Zakenna in the building. We are under attack by Dusk Zone."

The audience gasped obligingly. A few of the waitresses screamed, obviously acting as plants.

Homura stared in complete confusion at the "monster", at its stiff arms, painted-on face, and the six shoes underneath its hem as it slowly clambered off the stage. It was heading for their table. Of course it was.

_I'll kill her,_ thought Kagami, sinking lower in her chair.

"_ZAKENNA~!_" shouted the three voices from under the sheet as it advanced. Kagami was fairly certain she heard giggling from it afterward.

"Akemi-san, Hiiragi-san, run," said Yuki flatly. "Run, run for your lives."

The _faux_-Zakenna advanced, coming within a meter of their table before stopping. The rods from inside raised its plaster arm high. It paused as music blared over the speakers set at the foot of the stage, brassy and triumphant…

"_Hold it!_" Someone speaking Japanese with a pronounced American accent shouted from the rafters. "Attacking two innocent girls on their precious day together… I don't believe this!"

"Unforgiveable! We won't let you get away this time, Dusk Zone!" said another voice, very familiar.

_Oh dear God,_ thought Kagami, putting her hands over her face. _Please don't tell me-_

On stage, twin puffs of smoke flared in front of Yuki, not quite thick enough to disguise the two ropes being lowered from the rafters, or the two figures descending on them. A gloved hand thrust through the quickly thinning cloud… it was a girl, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, well-endowed, and obviously foreign. She was wearing a flashy black and pink costume with boots, a short skirt, and bike shorts, adorned with hearts. "Emissary of Light," she cried, beaming as if this was the proudest moment of her life. The girl struck a pose and finished, "_Cure Black!_"

Mirroring the other girl's movements, a second fist cut through the smoke. There was Konata, sporting a frilly, puffy-shouldered dress-like-thing that was without question the girliest outfit Kagami had ever seen her wear. It was all white and blue as opposed to her partner's outfit, and her hair was gathered up at the top by a blue heart hair clip. Assuming an identical pose, she called out, "Emissary of Light, _Cure White!_"

Joining hands, Konata and the other girl spoke together. "_The two of us are Pretty Cure!_"

The Zakenna costume's handlers clumsily turned it around and bellowed once again, as the speakers blasted an extraordinarily catchy theme song and the audience roared its approval, cheering and whistling.

Stewing in her embarrassment, Kagami sat with her arms crossed, vowing to watch this entire stupid display, if only to avoid hurting Konata's feelings. She had obviously worked hard on this, of course. But that didn't mean that she wasn't going to pay for it at some unspecified time later.

Her eyes drifted over to Homura a few seconds into the choreographed fight between "Pretty Cure" and their foe. She could have been wrong, it was hard to tell in the dark, but the other girl might have been trying not to laugh. That, at least, would be worth the embarrassment.

* * *

><p><strong>Nearing the Café <strong>

The two of them were dozing, half-asleep against each other on the long bus trip from Ikebukuro to Akihabara, when Desideria felt him. Her eyes snapped open, and she cursed herself for not seeing the signs earlier. What did he think was he _doing?!_

_Duilio_, she thought savagely at him. _Are you insane? Why are you out in the open? Our brother ordered you to keep low and wait!_

_I'm tired of waiting,_ growled Duilio, _tired of hiding in the shadows. I must have _blood._ I must tear flesh, shatter bones, rend meat… Our brother will stop me no longer._

_Idiot,_ she thought. _Do you truly wish to die so quickly?_

_ Better to die than waste away as you do. The plan has failed. Five of us are dead already. If I must join them, I will at least perish in a way that befits me. Let the Puella Magi come with her armory. Let the focal point strike me with her sword. Before I die, I'll crush their skulls between my teeth, drink their marrow, crack open their ribs… _Duilio's voice devolved into mad laughter.

_Idiot,_ thought the Second again. She knew him, nothing short of his own destruction would stop him now, and she wasn't about to try.

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Nyoron Café<strong>

Most of the café's patrons were on their feet now, pumping their fists into the air and chanting, "_Precure! Precure! Precure!_"

While all eyes were on the show, the café's manager ducked along the side wall to answer the door... only he was paying attention to the buzzing as the button was pressed. Normally one of the waitresses would be assigned to greet, but five of them were participating in the "fight" and the rest wanted to watch, so he supposed it was up to him. He could chastise the girls later… a spectacle like this would bring in a ton of money, maybe even some publicity. He grabbed the handle and peered through the peephole.

No one was there, but the buzzing continued…

* * *

><p><strong>Nearing the Café<strong>

Her conversation with Duilio had taken all of four seconds, not nearly enough time for Tsukasa to notice that she was awake. Somehow, though, the instant after it was over, Tsukasa lurched in her seat, her eyelids flying open, all drowsiness gone.

"Tsukasa-chan?" said Desideria. "Are you all right?"

Tsukasa's hands flailed, her fingers grasping and finally closing around the pull cord above their heads. The electronic tone of the stop signal echoed through the bus, and seconds later the driver ground it to a halt… just in time for Tsukasa to topple onto her hands and knees and vomit on the metal floor.

Mildly surprised, Desideria knelt down beside her, rubbing her back. "Tsukasa-chan! Oh dear, did you eat too much?"

She heaved, tasting bile in her mouth, fighting not to be sick again. "_Onee-chan,_" she gasped.

Again, the Second registered surprise. "Tsukasa-chan, what is it? What's wrong?"

Tsukasa rose to her feet, wiping her mouth with her forearm. Like a woman possessed, she staggered to the bus's doors, now swinging open for her. "I'm sorry, Yuki-chan," she groaned, her voice weak, her eyes unfocused. "Something terrible's going to happen… gotta help _onee-chan_…" With that she stumbled off the bus, nearly falling into the gutter… but she righted herself more quickly than should have been possible and ran blindly down the sidewalk, her sandals flapping against the pavement.

The Second was left beside the idling bus, the driver of which was now fumbling with his cell and wondering whether to call an ambulance or a cleaning service first.

_Well,_ thought Desideria. _Isn't _this_ interesting…_

* * *

><p><strong>Happy Nyoron Café<strong>

"Cure Black" and "Cure White" struck both sides of the monster at once as the café's manager turned the handle and opened the door. It was probably faulty wiring or something. He would have to call an electrician to-

The door blew open with such force that it struck him in the face, rendering him unconscious. An army of sleek black feathered bodies streamed into the café, with what appeared to be a localized cloud bank following behind them… the charges flew as one up into the rafters.

Down below, Kagami found herself smiling despite herself. Maybe it was silly, but it _was_ a pretty good show, the fight choreography was decent for what it was. Konata and "Cure Black" certainly seemed to be enjoying themselves, anyway.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Homura stand straight up as the Pretty Cures delivered a double kick to the Zakenna's jaw. She wondered for just an instant if the Puella Magi was actually getting into it… then she realized. _Oh no._

The fog rolled across the stage. It might have been a special effect; dry ice, perhaps. The actors barely paid it a thought until it swallowed them all within its depths, far faster than it should have done. The audience's cheers grew quieter, replaced by confused muttering…

Homura disappeared. Seconds later Kagami was vaulting over the table, running up to the stage and plunging into the fog. _Not Konata,_ she thought desperately. _Oh God, not again._

It was only once she was already inside the cloud that she remembered that she was without her _bokken_. Unarmed. Still she ran, as the world twisted around her once more…

Something filled her shoes and drenched her socks. She was striding ankle-deep through some kind of liquid, something too thick to be water. The moment the Lair finished resolving, a powerful odor assaulted her nostrils, sharp, coppery, warm, and damp… she only stopped running when she realized what it was.

It was a lake of blood.

Kagami's stomach churned with nausea as she fought the urge to faint then and there. The only thing that kept her on her feet was the knowledge that if she fell, she would be half-submerged in it, in what she somehow knew, without a shadow of a doubt, was human blood.

"_Kagami!_" Homura's voice called from somewhere nearby.

Placing a hand over her mouth, she ran for that voice, not paying attention to anything around her. She was halfway up the "shore" before she realized that its surface felt all wrong… it was soft and yielding. White spikes, some of them yellowing badly, jutted up out of the ground in random places… she thought she knew what they were, what the ground was, but she shoved it to the back of her mind.

Homura, Konata, the Yuki lookalike, Cure Black, and the three other girls were there, in varying states of consciousness. The three that composed the Zakenna had apparently fainted, they lay on the remains of the sheet, their faces pale.

Konata's costume was blood-spattered but she was apparently all right, trying to rouse the dazed figure of Cure Black, who was moaning in her lap. "C'mon, Patty-chan, stay with me, please!" she begged as she shook the foreign girl.

"Izumi-san, it might be kinder to let her sleep," said Homura. She had transformed into her spotless Puella Magi costume, her face set for battle. Her happiness and levity from minutes earlier was already a distant memory. "I'll do my best to protect you all."

"I-I know you will, Akemi-san, but how are you gonna-" She trailed off, biting her lip.

The Yuki lookalike was looking from Homura to Konata, to the lake and back to the strange, soft red ground underneath their feet. Perhaps it was some insane commitment to staying in character, perhaps it was a defense mechanism, or perhaps she was simply in shock, but when she spoke, it was still in the same monotone… "What… is happening…?"

The enormity of it hit Kagami at once. It wasn't just her and Homura this time. It wasn't just Konata she had to worry about. Five civilians, five innocent girls had been pulled into the Lair. She put a trembling hand on the girl's shoulder. "L-look, just stay back, out of the lake. We- _Homura_ can handle this, s-she's done it before…"

The girl hit her with a hard stare. "… Then this _is_ real. I am not dreaming."

"'Fraid not," said Kagami with a weak, sick chuckle.

"Fascinating," was all the girl said in reply as she adjusted her glasses. You could almost believe she _was_ Yuki Nagato.

Unnerved by her calmness, Kagami left her and went to Homura's side. "Ho-Homura? I'm… I'm so sorry," she whispered, so as not to alarm the others.

There was no mistaking the pain in Homura's violet eyes; Kagami had learned to recognize it, even when it was hidden underneath the armor of her resolve. "It's not your fault," she said. "It's theirs, and we'll make them pay."

"N-No, what I mean is," Kagami fumbled with the words, more scared than she was willing to admit. "I… I don't have my _bokken…_"

Now it was Homura's turn to stare at her. Neither of them spoke.

"Don't worry." After a few seconds of silence, Homura put a hand on her shield. "I have a-"

"Look," said Yuki.

It was hard to make them out against the churning gray clouds that composed the Lair's sky, but dark shapes were coming toward them. Many, many dark shapes, cawing and flapping and shedding ragged black feathers… crows, at least two hundred, if not more.

Homura turned her shield over. In an instant she was standing three meters down the shore, surrounded by a dozen mortars. As the flock drew near, the weapons roared, expelling their payload into it. Fire blossomed in the cloudy sky, bodies and feathers fell from the mass, but it kept advancing…

Then half of it dived. Right over Homura's head, straight for the girls on the shore. Hundreds of black living missiles, somehow shrieking, though it was clear that they were all headless, every one of them…

"_Run!_" Kagami screamed. She started toward Konata, knowing horribly that even if the two of them got away, the other girls would be helpless… Her feet sank slightly into the yielding red ground, making it hard to keep balance. She stumbled, regained her footing, took another few strides…

There was another roar of fire from further down the shore, then the chattering of rifles. The rest of the headless flock was attacking Homura. She was fighting back, but even _she_ couldn't make it in time to-

Someone shoved her. She fell sprawling to the ground, which she now knew for certain was made of flesh… muscle tissue. Her stomach heaved…

"Hiiragi-san, Izumi-san, stay low and lie flat." The monotone came from somewhere above her.

A meter away, Konata complied, throwing herself and Patty down even as she shouted, "_Aya-chan, what are you doing?! Aya!_"

The Yuki lookalike, Aya, was still standing upright. She turned to the diving birds and spread her arms wide, facing them without fear.

The crows fell upon her. Kagami saw flashes of yellow teeth; the birds' feathered chests were breaking open, revealing slavering fanged mouths. Aya wasn't trying to fight them off, she was acting as a diversion... as a sacrifice. She was swiftly lost to sight amid the storm of black wings. The screaming began, awful, anguished screaming, that somehow didn't drown out a horrid sound like the tearing of wet paper…

Aya's voice petered out into a wet, choking gurgle. Part of her went one way, and part of her went another… A ragged, bloody mess of skin, hair and cloth stayed with the crows, quickly being torn to ribbons by their terrible mouths, and the muscles, body, and bones fell to the shore with a sickening _thud_.

Kagami couldn't make a sound, her throat was too tight. By the lake's edge, Homura was still fighting, but she couldn't watch. She could only stare at the skinless corpse that until seconds ago was a living, breathing girl, and she couldn't look away.

The murder (_Oh God_, thought Kagami) of crows flew back over the surface of the lake, still fighting over scraps of their prize. A grisly rain fell as they bickered, sending ripples through the pool…

Something moved within it. Rings spread outward as something headed for the shore. It breached the surface, shedding red droplets… It was a huge skeletal hand and a three-fingered arm, clad in rotting flesh. The fingers groped for the body, found it, and closed around it. They dragged what was left of Aya backward by the ankle, deep into the lake.

Only then did someone else scream. It was a very familiar voice.

It wasn't Konata or Homura.

Kagami's head jerked upward, and she felt her heart plunge into her stomach. _No…_

Standing far up on the shore and leaning against an outcropping of bone, pale as a sheet and trying not to be sick again, was Tsukasa. She had seen it all.

Within the lake, something enormous stirred and began to rise.

**END OF CHAPTER 20**


	21. Chapter 21: I Wish

_***[Author's Note] To all my readers: I'm truly sorry for the long delay between this chapter and the last. I had just finished the most recent part of _My Sunshine_ when a personal crisis struck out of the blue, one that's forced me to put my writing aside entirely for almost a month. It's not something I wish to discuss here, but you all should know that I'm slowly improving thanks to treatment and my family's support (not to mention all of yours). I think I've mostly succeeded in putting my life back together, but with these things, you never really know. The delays should be less often in the future, but they may still happen. Again, thanks for your patience. - BHS***_

**CHAPTER 21: I Wish**

**Unknown Location**

_You are now ready._

_ Yes, I am._

_ You know what you must do? You understand your purpose?_

_ Indeed._

_ And you know exactly what fulfilling that purpose means, do you not?_

_ I do. I accept it._

_ Then go. Fulfill it. You will not be forgotten._

* * *

><p><strong>The Seventh's Lair<strong>

Tsukasa was almost past the point of speech. She was sweating and white as a sheet, her eyes like saucers, looking as if any moment now her legs would give way beneath her. "_Onee-chan_," she stammered, though her eyes were not on Kagami; they wouldn't leave the spot where Aya's body fell. "Please, run. You have to. We have to… run…"

She started to fall. Kagami and Konata both ran to catch her, their steps making nauseating squelching noises as they hit the ground. Kagami got to her first; Konata was somewhat impeded by the frills of her costume. Wrapping an arm around Tsukasa to keep her upright, Kagami shoved away the horror of what she had just seen, forced it to the back of her mind along with everything else except her sister's wellbeing. "Tsukasa, what are you _doing_ here?! You're supposed to be with Miyuki!"

"I… saw you," said Tsukasa, her breathing labored. She sounded confused, barely coherent. One might think she had been out drinking, but that wasn't possible, not even given her recent ventures into adulthood with Miyuki… was it? "On the bus. Saw you and Kona-chan and Akemi-san… in this place. I felt… danger. Pain. Made me sick…" A dry, heavy sob came from somewhere deep inside her. "I saw… that girl… and the crows… and the blood… Oh God…"

From her other side, Konata stared at Kagami. "Is she saying… she saw what happened, _before_ it happened?"

Kagami didn't hear her. "It's gonna be okay, Tsukasa," she said, gingerly patting her back. "It's gonna be okay, it has to be okay."

"No," said Tsukasa, shaking her head and dazedly trying to remove Kagami's arm. "No, s'not okay, it'll never be okay, never…" Another sob traveled the length of her body as she repeated the words as a litany. "We have to go, have to get out of here…" Then she hunched down into a tight little ball to block everything out, and spoke no more.

"What's _wrong_ with her?" Konata's voice rose in pitch. "Did… did the Demon curse her or something?"

"She's in shock, idiot, what do you think is wrong with her?!" shrieked Kagami, her tone far sharper than she meant it to be. "Konata, this is bad, this is _really_ bad." And she had no idea _how_ bad. Kagami's _bokken_ was at home, without it she couldn't fight…

Konata's gaze traveled from the three sleeping girls on the remnants of their costume, to the unconscious Patricia, still in her Cure Black outfit, to Homura, surrounded by black-feathered bodies on the shores of the lake and scanning the clouded sky for more crows, to the lake of blood where the skeletal arm had taken Aya's body, then to Tsukasa tucked into her little ball, and finally back to Kagami. "You have to fight it, don't you, Kagamin?" she said softly. "You guys have to fight it, or it's gonna… do to all of us what it did to poor Aya-chan…"

Kagami nodded, trembling. "Yes."

Conflicting emotions swam in Konata's green eyes, but her expression was unreadable. Her mouth opened and closed several times without sound coming out. "Let me take care of Tsukasa and the others," she said finally. "You go. Help Homura, and don't you dare get yourself hurt."

A shaky smile spread across Kagami's face. "I-I'll try not to. Th-thanks, Konata." She gave her sister a hug, then after considering it for a moment she hugged Konata as well. Rising unsteadily to her feet, she made her way down to the shore, walking carefully to avoid tripping and falling to the fleshy ground. She was suddenly horribly aware that that might be the last thing she would ever say to her friend. Aya had only had time to give the command to lie flat… no chance to say goodbye, no poetic final words, only her agonized scream.

Homura had told her how the Lairs normally worked: if one died inside, the body was lost forever. That meant that when, _if_ they returned to the real world, Aya's family would never know what happened. How late would her parents stay up tonight, waiting for her to come home? How long would it take them to give up hope of finding her again? _Would_ they give up, and accept that their daughter had simply vanished without explanation? Would they hold a prayer service before an empty grave, having nothing of her to bury? Or would they spend the rest of their lives trying to find out why their Aya had gone to work at the café one day and never returned?

The horror she held back came bursting loose. By the time she reached Homura, her eyes were streaming. "Ho-Homura," she choked out. "Homura, please, help me…"

Cool, slender hands pulled her into a hug. "I'm here."

"I'm so scared," she whispered as she let herself go, shivering uncontrollably. "I'm scared, and I don't know what to do… K-Konata and her f-friends and Tsukasa are here, and they…" The images sprang into her mind, images she would see in her nightmares for years to come. "The c-crows killed that poor girl… tore her apart…"

"I know." There was raw pain in Homura's voice as her arms tightened around her. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't save her."

For a while they simply held on, trying to draw strength from each other's embrace.  
>"P-Please, Ho-Homura… Let's just go. We can l-leave the Lair, let the D-Demon go for now… We can c-come back when I have my <em>b-bokken<em>, and when the others aren't-"

"Kagami," said Homura, leaning back to look at her directly. "If it escapes, it will kill more people. It has to be stopped, here and now, for Aya's sake. This has to end."

_It has to end._ Kagami trembled, remembering how she had said that back in the café, while the music underscored her words with sorrow. She sniffled, dried her eyes, and took a breath. "Y-You're right," she said. "You're right."

Homura's violet eyes softened a bit. "It's all right to be afraid, Kagami. If you don't want to fight this time, stay back with Izumi and the others. I'll protect you."

"No." She bit her lip and shook her head. It was tempting, but she couldn't. "I-I'm sorry, I panicked… I think I'll be okay now, but how am I gonna help you without my-"

Kagami's mouth dropped open in shock as Homura reached behind her shield and withdrew a white oak _bokken_, with Kagami's name carved close to the hilt. "H-How…"

"I-" Color rushed to Homura's pale cheeks as she held the weapon out. "The last time I came to your house, I-"

"Is _that_ where my spare went?! I've been looking for it since last week!" The moment she took it in her hands, Kagami felt better, more stable. It wasn't her usual _bokken_, she recognized that now. This one had far fewer dents and scuff-marks on its blade, and the weight was slightly different, but it comforted her just the same, warmth spreading up her arms as her hands tightened around the hilt.

"I apologize for stealing it," Homura murmured, not looking directly at her. "I suspected something like this might happen, but I didn't want to say anything to you. We were-"

"Yeah," she nodded, understanding. "It's okay, I understand. Thank you. But before we go, could you do one more thing for me?"

* * *

><p>Konata could see them talking further down on the shore, but she couldn't make any words out. There had been no mistaking the heaving of Kagami's shoulders, though; her tough act couldn't hold up. Who could blame her? A pang of loneliness bit at Konata's heart… she wished that she had someone to hold onto like that. And deep down, she knew, she wished that someone was Kagami… and there was that guilt again, like acid in the back of her throat. As if she didn't have enough to feel guilty about…<p>

"Izumi-san!" Homura's voice called out as the two of them split apart.

She blinked, coming back to reality. "Yeah?"

"Catch." Something flew in an arc from the black-haired girl's hand as she threw it high. Konata held out her hands and took a few unsteady steps forward and away from Tsukasa and Patricia, her boots making that sick _squelch_ noise that so turned her stomach. Homura's aim was true, and the small object fell neatly into her palms. She recognized it immediately; she had just bought it for Homura that afternoon. It was a _Cardcaptor Sakura_ cell phone charm with a bright pink strap.

"Um," said Konata, tilting her head to one side. "Are you sure you-" Then the charm pulsed with heat, almost leaping out of her hands, and a dome of sparkling violet energy spread outward from it, washing over her, Tsukasa, Patricia, and the Zakenna trio, extending and growing until it was two meters high and at least five across. "Oh, I get it!" She smiled and waved her free hand, clutching the other tight around the charm. "Thanks, Akemi-san!"

Homura nodded, and together with Kagami she turned to face the lake of blood. Something in it was definitely moving now; ripples were appearing more and more frequently on its surface.

Konata's smile faded the moment they turned around. Listlessly she walked back to Tsukasa, squatted down next to her, and began patting her back. "Tsukasa? Come on, it's gonna be okay," she said with a confidence she didn't feel. "I'm here. We're gonna be fine."

A quiet moan was her only reply.

"J-Just sit there and don't look. Kagamin and Akemi-san will-"

Then, before she could finish, the Demon breached the surface of the lake. A tide of blood raced up the shore as it surfaced, sending Kagami and Homura scurrying. At least three stories tall, its shape was vaguely humanoid, but only just… it had horns, great curving ones, Konata saw them right away. As rivers of blood slid off its enormous body, the Demon's composition became clear. Its head was a bull skull, bleached white and grinning hideously, its teeth like tombstones. Most of the skull was bare, tendons and tissues holding it onto its neck. There was no skin; its body was all bare, raw red meat, organs and viscera. One arm was bulging and muscular, the other almost skeletal. And its chest…

"Oh God," whispered Konata. "Oh dear God…"

… its chest was made of hundreds of skinned human corpses stitched and woven together, their bodies contorted into grotesque shapes, their empty eye sockets shedding tears of blood. Somewhere within that mass of bodies, Konata knew, was Aya…

The Demon opened its mouth and breathed, and something flickered in the hollows that were its eyes. The hollows lit up, blindingly bright… inside them were high-beam searchlights. The beams scanned the ground crazily for a moment as they oriented themselves, and then came to rest on Kagami and Homura. In a hideous grinding voice that scraped its way out of its throat, the Demon spoke: "_Haaah… the focal points… and the Puella Magi. All in one place. At last…"_

Homura shouted something that Konata couldn't make out. Within the next blink of her eyes, the shore was bristling with an entire arsenal: turrets, mortars, cannons, launchers, all aiming upwards at the giant. Another blink, and the combined forces of explosions and gunfire erupted all across its body. The skull blew apart, corpses rained from its chest.

And then it started to laugh.

_"Haaah haaah… fools,_" it rasped. "_I shall tear you apart… give your blood to me… I must have BLOOD…_"

Konata heard Kagami's next words perfectly clearly: "Homura, _it's growing back!_"

* * *

><p>She couldn't look away. Konata felt she owed that much to Aya, to watch as the thing that killed her was defeated. But whatever damage Homura's weapons did to it, it regenerated moments later… even when its head was severed, even when its grisly chest was caved in by heavy fire, bones would sprout back, the bodies would creep over the wounds, the flesh would regenerate, and soon the blinding searchlight eyes would flicker on again. It could attack even minus half its body, spewing razor-sharp fragments of bone at them. Kagami was reduced to trying to draw its fire, as she couldn't reach the Demon with her sword without swimming into the lake… she ducked and weaved, waving her arms and shouting to distract it while Homura reloaded and set up her next volley. But nothing was working, nothing was working…<p>

Konata didn't know why she did it. She didn't expect an answer. But with her eyes frozen on the battle, with Tsukasa incoherent and Patty and the girls mercifully asleep, she needed _someone…_ "Kyubey," she whispered.

Just like that, he appeared by her feet. _Konata Izumi. You called for me?_

She didn't question it; Konata snatched him up into her arms, desperate for his warmth. Hugging him tightly to her chest, she looked down at him. "Kyubey, this is horrible…"

Kyubey turned and stared as rockets flew from further up the beach, following their smoking trails with his round red eyes. _You're frightened?_

"I'm terrified! Is it always like this? With all the blood and gore and… and people… dying?"

_Sometimes._

Konata hugged him even tighter as Kagami stumbled and fell over. The Demon's skeletal arm reached for her, but she managed to regain her footing and run from it before the next eruption of bone shards could target her.

"And you said…" She watched for the dark shape that was Homura. "You said magical girls usually do this alone? All alone?"

_Almost always_, said Kyubey.

"That's…" She huddled over him and stroked one of his long ears. "I couldn't… I couldn't do that. I used to think it would be great to be a magical girl, but…"

_You've reconsidered. I'm not surprised; Homura did explain most of the risks to you._

"'Most' of them? What do you mean?"

_Homura has asked me not to disclose certain aspects of the contract, for fear of upsetting you._ He tilted his head quizzically. _By her logic, upsetting you would upset Kagami and Tsukasa, and that could destabilize the multiverse. I confess that I don't entirely understand, but she made it clear that withholding information would be in the best interests of all of us._

"Homura, fall back! _Fall back!_" Kagami was running up the shore, drawing closer to the shield. She was dripping with sweat, her clothes were a mess, and she was clearly growing tired…

There was a blink of movement, and Homura appeared. Her face and uniform were blackened with the soot and oil of her many weapons. "Are you all right? You're not injured?"

"No, but I'm just about exhausted, and I know you can't have much ammo left, right?"

"I have more, but it seems to be ineffective."

"That's an understatement! Nothing you're doing is even fazing that thing…"

_"Haah haah haaah… come back, little insects,"_ chuckled the Demon, leaning back and grinning at them. It didn't need to move from its lake. Its prey had nowhere to go._ "Let me pluck your bodies clean, as I did with your friend…"_

"Oh, cram it!" Kagami shouted back at the giant. She threw a significant glance at the black-haired girl. "Homura, it might be time to-"

"Use _that_," Homura finished. "I understand."

Unable to contain herself, Konata left Tsukasa's side and ran up to the shield's shimmering border. "Use what? A finishing move or something? Whatever you've got, _use it!_"

The two ignored her… or simply didn't hear. "I'll need you to cover me after I fire it," said Homura. "It takes a lot of power, and I'll be drained for at least fifteen seconds before I can shoot again, if it comes to that."

"Cover you with _what?!_"

"Can you handle this?"

Konata's eyes boggled as the girl drew an enormous M249 machine gun from the tiny space behind her shield.

"I, uh…" Kagami was scarcely less surprised. "I don't know…"

"Try. Just keep it steady, and make certain your hands are away from the belt. Here, I'll show you."

There followed a brief but detailed tutorial as Homura taught her how to aim, fire, and reload the weapon. Konata tried to follow, but other than "point, shoot, hold on tight, and stop firing if the barrel turns red," the specifics were lost on her. She vaguely remembered playing a few of those ultra-realistic shooter games with guns like that, but all you had to do to reload those was press a button…

After couple minutes of instruction, Konata's attention wandered, as it tended to do. After ensuring that Tsukasa was still unhurt, she drifted back to the furry little creature in her arms. _Kyubey_, she thought to him, closing her eyes. _You can hear me, right?_

_ Yes, perfectly clearly._

_ Good, I don't want Kagamin to hear, she'll just get distracted by worrying about me. I want you to tell me what Homura held back._

Kyubey tilted his head again. _Are you sure? You truly want to know?_

_Yeah,_ she thought, her face set. _I can take it._

_Very well._

So he told her.

* * *

><p>"All right, I think I've got it," said Kagami, wiping her brow. "You're sure this is gonna hurt it?"<p>

Homura frowned. "Probably not, but it should work as a distraction. We'll both move on three."

"Right. Just a sec…" She flipped one of her pigtails back and looked over her shoulder, back at the shimmering purple shield. "Konata? You guys still okay?"

Konata, who for some reason was now clutching Kyubey like a stuffed toy, looked very shaken and pale, but she nodded, briefly flashing a thumbs-up and a hint of her cat-smile. "Go get 'im, you two! Don't lose!"

She tried to return the smile, without much success. Her hands clenched tight around the handgrip and slide of the machine gun. The weapon was very heavy; she could already feel it weighing on her tired arms… it was no wonder Homura needed a Puella Magi's enhanced strength to wield it. Turning back to the black-haired girl, she mustered her courage. "All right, ready to go."

"You removed the safety, didn't you?"

Kagami nodded; the key was in her pocket. _I can't believe I'm doing this._

"Good," said Homura. Her mouth curled up at the corners just a tiny bit, making Kagami feel better despite her nervousness. "Let's go. One… two…"

* * *

><p>"… <em>THREE!<em>"

Konata gasped as Kagami went forward and Homura went _up…_ a pair of eerie wings sprouted from her back, wings that didn't look like wings at all, but torn-up pieces of the night sky. They beat the air once, then sent her hurtling toward the Demon like a meteor, past its shoulder… It turned around to follow her flight path but she had already come to a dead stop in midair. The ebony bow flashed into being in one hand, and as she drew the other back, a flaming violet arrow the size of a battering ram notched itself to the string. A spell circle made of intricate runes of light carved itself into the air at the arrow's point, her wings beat the air once more, the Demon howled its challenge and began to reach for her…

_"Requiem Violetta!"_

Homura let the great fiery arrow fly. Like a comet it fell from the heavens, streaking toward its target and leaving flames in its wake. Her aim was true; the arrow lanced through the Demon's left eye socket and pierced the other side before it stopped. The bull skull lit up bright from within with violet light… then it exploded with a tremendous roar, taking the neck, the shoulders, the hideous chest of corpses, and the upper arms with it in a titanic fireball.

The fire of the explosion reflected in Konata's wide-open eyes. _Aya… I'm so sorry. Please forgive us._

Burnt, charred flesh rained from the cloudy sky over the echoes of the blast. There were two huge splashes of blood in the lake as the Demon's severed arms fell and quickly sank. Kagami was further down the shore, pumping her fist in the air, exhilarated… Homura's body sagged, and her wings flickered for a fraction of a second as she bobbed in midair, still keeping the bow trained on the smoking ruin of the Demon's lower body. Bubbles rose up from the bottom of the lake…

No one had time to react. No one expected it. The Demon's skeletal arm erupted from the lake in a geyser of crimson, spread its three fingers wide, and swatted Homura out of the sky as if she were little more than a troublesome gnat.

As she fell, her wings faded out entirely.

So did the shield guarding Konata and the others.

An instant later, the impact of her body hitting the shore shook the Lair, making it tremble from end to end.

"_HOMURA…!" _The scream that followed was Kagami's, but it didn't sound like her at all. She may have screamed again, but the sudden roar of her machine gun drowned her out. A sustained flurry of ammo blanketed the skeletal arm and lower torso, riddling them with holes… but the body was already growing back. Still Kagami kept firing, her eyes filled with stars and wide as saucers, bizarre shadows extending from her back as if she were growing her own pair of wings…

"Kagami! _Kagami!_" cried Konata, somehow regaining her voice. "The barrel, _the_ _barrel!_"

The M249's barrel was turning red, gradually brightening to white as its fire continued unabated. Kagami wasn't listening. She kept her finger on the trigger until the belt jammed and the barrel melted into slag a half-minute later, then she tossed the ruined weapon aside and ran for her discarded _bokken_.

Now the other arm was breaching the lake's surface. One of its fingers pointed at her, as if to admonish her… then it grew, and grew, and grew, extending grotesquely until it reached the shore. It raced along the tissue composing the ground like a viper, snatched Kagami by her ankle, spiraled up her leg and around her waist, then looped itself twice around her neck. Hauled off her feet by its sudden pull, it slowly, slowly began drawing Kagami backward to the lake as it squeezed. Her _bokken_ fell from her grip as she clawed at her neck with both hands, trying to pry the snakelike finger loose.

"_KAGAMI!"_

* * *

><p><em>Can't move. Can hardly breathe. No...<em>

But it wasn't squeezing her to death or strangling her, not yet. The constriction came in short bursts. It was toying with her; she heard its taunting, grinding voice as its skull reformed.

_"Haaah… You thought a weapon could cause me harm? Haaah… Come here, Kagami Hiiragi. Don't struggle. Come and become one with me. Make me whole once more…"_

"No! Leggo… of me! _Nnngh…_" More squeezing around her neck. The flesh was rubbery and wet, resisting her attempts to grab hold of it. "Tsukasa…" she choked, looking back at the shore. At least she would die looking at them. "Kona-"

Tsukasa was still locked in her little ball, but Konata wasn't watching any longer. She was turned to face Kyubey, her expression as deadly serious as Kagami had ever seen.

_Oh God, no. _"KONATA, NO!" The snake-finger loosened its grip just enough to let her cry out a warning. "_DON'T DO IT! PLEASE, DON'T!_ Agggh…" Then it tightened again, she saw flecks of darkness in the corners of her eyes before it went slack.

Dimly, she heard Konata shout back a reply. "I have to, Kagamin, I can't let you die! If it's to save you and everyone else… I'll do it! I'll become a Puella Magi!"

She could hear Kyubey. She didn't know how, but she desperately prayed to drive his cold, clinical voice from both their minds.

_You agree to the terms of the contract, Konata Izumi?_

Konata gave him a sad variation of her cat smile. "Yes."

_"STOP, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!"_ screamed Kagami, fighting for breath. She was now halfway to the lake. Her leg kicked frantically at the Demon's finger, doing no damage.

"I do, and I don't care!" said Konata loudly. "I won't lose you guys like I did Aya…!"

The finger tightened on her throat more than ever. Kagami took as deep a breath as she could, managed one more, very short sentence: "_You'll die…!_"

"I know." Konata nodded and turned back to the little white creature. "Do it, Kyubey, now! I wish… I wish for a chance to fight for the sake of my friends! Kagamin, Tsukasa, Akemi-san, Miyuki, Aya, _all of them!_"

* * *

><p><em>Then it's agreed,<em> thought Kyubey. The tips of his long ears began to glow as he reached for Konata's chest. _The contract has been made. Your wish has surpassed entropy._

Konata took a deep breath and closed her eyes, ready for the transformation. A thought popped into her mind, and she smiled genuinely as she whispered, "Moon Prism Power… Make Up."

Kagami screamed one last time, a howl of despair, of helpless fear at losing her best friend again… "_NOOOOOOOOO!_"

A crash of thunder split the air. A brilliant flash of light illuminated the darkness.

Konata fell to the ground gasping, unable to move. Kyubey wasn't so lucky; he was tossed fifty feet backward and landed in a heap. When he gingerly picked himself up, there was something in his thoughts that no one had ever heard before: surprise. _That's… impossible! The contract was made, it can't be overridden…_

_ Where is the Soul Gem?_

* * *

><p>Tsukasa stood up. There were tears streaming down her face. "<em>Onee-chan,<em>" she whispered. Then again, much louder, "_ONEE-CHAN!_" She ran for Kagami, stumbling in her sandals on the fleshy ground. "_Onee-chan!_"

The Demon laughed and began to reach for her with its free arm. _"You would give yourself to me as well, little one? Haaah, come then. Into my embrace…"_ The bone fingers descended toward her.

Tsukasa stopped and stared up at the giant hand, shaking her head. Her eyes were filled with stars. "No! I'm not gonna let you hurt me or my sister or anyone else! Never again! _Never again!_" And she spread her arms wide to meet the hand…

There was another brilliant flash as the Demon's fingertip touched her chest. It was coming from her body, shining from within her. The faint outlines of white feathered wings erupted from her back.

The Demon spoke. _"What are you doing? Stop it. STOP IT…"_ Then it let out a horrible grinding scream as its massive body was pulled from the lake in a shower of blood, as if it weighed no more than a feather. It was being drawn into the girl's light. _"Stop… STOP IIIIIIIT!"_ Its tendril was ripped loose from Kagami's body as it clawed for purchase at thin air. Howling in shock and agony, it felt itself being compressed, shrinking down to half its size, then a quarter, forcibly returning to its first stage and shrinking even more… Its cry was cut off as the Seventh vanished into Tsukasa's chest.

All fell silent. She hung suspended for a moment, letting out a long sigh… a few snow-white feathers dropped from her ghostly wings before they dissolved into mist. Then she dropped, the light faded…

Kagami stared at her in disbelief from her position on the ground. She couldn't move. An icy chill overtook her body. "Tsukasa…?"

"_Onee-chan_," sobbed her sister, her precious, innocent little sister, who had just defeated a Demon by herself. "I'm so sorry, I…"

Her starry eyes went wide, her face went slack. In a sepulchral tone, she whispered, "_One of us is going to die._"

Then she clutched at her temples and screamed. The stars faded from her eyes as they lit up like searchlights. Her lips curled into a vicious sneer as she spoke in a voice not her own, in an awful grinding, scraping voice. "_Haaah… you little fool…_"

**END OF CHAPTER 21**


	22. Chapter 22: Not Like This

**CHAPTER 22: Not Like This**

**The Seventh's Lair**

Kagami stared in horror from her prone position on the fleshy ground. The Seventh's voice was coming from her sister's mouth. Its searchlights were shining from her eyes. It was inside her. "_Tsukasa!_"

_"She's here,"_ said the Seventh's scraping voice. _"She's in here with me. She's trying to fight. Haaah… adorable…"_Lurching to her feet, Tsukasa moved slowly toward Kagami, wearing that obscene leer, fixing her with the searchlights, blinding her. Even if she wanted to move to fight back, she couldn't. Her neck was bruised, the breath nearly driven from her lungs. She felt her sister's soft, delicate hands lift her up off the ground with unnatural strength, then slowly close around her aching neck. All she could see was that glaring white light.

_"Kagami Hiiragi."_ The Seventh brought her close and whispered in her ear. _"Your sister sealed away my body, but you will still die here. Everything will die with you, and the stars above will fall. Spend your last moments in agony… let me see you squirm. Haaah…"_

Choking and gasping, kicking feebly, Kagami struggled as the breath she had so recently regained left her, bit by bit by bit. Dark spots danced merrily in front of her eyes. "Tsu…" she croaked, putting a hand on her sister's. "Tsu… ka…"

_Click._ The muzzle of a Beretta pistol pressed against the back of Tsukasa's skull. Wielding the gun, battered but very much alive, Homura stood behind her, her face set like stone. "Demon," she said quietly. "Leave. Now."

_"You would kill one of the focal points?" _The Seventh grinned without looking back at her. "_Haaah… are you that desperate, Puella Magi?"_

"I would rather see Tsukasa dead than suffer another moment of your presence inside her body," said Homura. "Let Kagami go, and _leave._"

The Seventh smiled and slackened its grip on the girl's neck, just a bit. _"Go ahead then. Pull the trigger. Spill the blood that will herald the end of all things."_

Homura didn't move, didn't even blink.

_"Haaah. You can't, can you? It appears, then, that we are at a stalemate…"_

* * *

><p>Konata lay spread-eagled, staring up at the angry clouds that composed the Lair's sky. Had she been able to hear, she wouldn't have been able to tear herself away from standoff between Kagami, Homura, and the Demon… but all she heard was the same persistent ringing in her ears that had plagued her since her attempt to make the contract went wrong. She doubted she could even turn her head to watch what was going on; every muscle in her body ached, worse than the time she had played a marathon session of DDR with Patty at an arcade. If the Demon chose to attack right now, she'd be a sitting duck. Her one chance to help, gone…<p>

_Why?_ The question nagged at her over and over again. _Why didn't it work?_

_ That is a question I would like answered myself, Konata Izumi. _The voice of Kyubey – _Incubator,_ Konata corrected herself– was hesitant with confusion.

_Oh good, you're back,_ Konata thought at him as she dimly felt him climb onto her stomach. _Sorry, Kyubey. I'd get up and hug you if I could, but I can't…_

_ I appreciate the sentiment._

_What happened?_ Konata blinked slowly and let a teardrop fall from her lashes. Even that small action hurt. _I agreed to the contract, I made my wish… why can't I do it? Why can't I become a Puella Magi? Was I… not good enough?_

_ I don't know_, Kyubey admitted. He turned in a circle on her belly and settled down on all fours, more like a cat than ever. _Your wish was valid, and your contract was made. The fact that you're still human defies explanation._

_I feel so…_ Konata paused and searched for the right word. _… left out._

_I understand._

She blinked again and winced. _You do?_

Kyubey heaved a mental sigh. _Did you know that back in our world, I was the last of the Incubators…?_

_I think I remember Homura mentioning that. Why?_

For the first time, she heard hesitation in Kyubey's cold voice. _They left me behind. Because I'm 'damaged'._

_'Damaged', what do you-_

As if someone turned a switch, she could hear again, just in time for the Demon to growl, _"It appears, then, that we are at a stalemate…"_

Konata slowly, painfully turned her head to one side. What she saw made her face turn white as a sheet: Tsukasa, her eyes aglow and her hands around Kagami's neck, Homura with a gun to Tsukasa's skull… it was a scene out of a twisted nightmare, and all she could do was lie there and watch it unfold…

* * *

><p>There was a monster in Tsukasa's closet.<p>

Not her real closet, of course. This wasn't even her real room. It looked enough like it, with her stuffed animals, her vanity mirror, her discarded laundry atop her untidy sheets on the mattress, but it wasn't her room. It didn't matter, because the _thing_ inside the closet was trying to get out, and she wouldn't let it. She _couldn't_ let it.

Trembling, she pressed herself against the sliding panel door with all her weight, feeling it push back and bulge as the Demon threw its body against it. Flesh and fragments of bone seeped through the grooves all around the door, threatening to consume the rest of the wall, but as long as she held it closed…

_"You'll never win, Tsukasa Hiiragi,"_ rasped the Demon. _"Never. Let me out."_

"No." She shook her head and tried to block out its horrible voice. "No!"

_"Haaah… sooner or later, I'll break free and take complete control. When I do, I'll use your hands to rip everyone you love apart…"_

"I won't let you!"

A pause. _"Haaah… I have something to show you, little one. Would you like to see it?"_

Tsukasa shook her head frantically. "No!"

_"This is your friend Aya's last memory. I took it from her when she became part of me…"_

The foreign memory violated Tsukasa, forced itself into her mind. The crows tore into her with their teeth, ripping off her clothes, her skin, her flesh… she screamed in agony, until they took her throat…

_"That was _her_ death, would you like to see more…?"_

* * *

><p>Kagami fell roughly to the ground, sucking air greedily into her lungs. Tsukasa stumbled backward, almost tripping over Homura's foot. And Homura stared, confused and suspecting a trick, keeping the gun trained on Tsukasa…<p>

Tsukasa gripped her skull as if it were about to split apart. "_Nooooo! Please, _onee-chan_, it hurts, it hurts!"_

Wild-eyed with fear for her sister, Kagami reached for the closest person at hand, and ended up clinging to Homura's leg. "Homura," she gasped, her throat still raw, "Homura, help her, it's killing her!"

Still impossibly calm, Homura held the gun steady. "Tsukasa-san? Tsukasa-san, if you can hear me…"

"A… Akemi…san…" The searchlights from Tsukasa's eyes flickered out, and tears streamed down her face. "Kill it, please kill it… shoot me…"

* * *

><p>Tsukasa lay fetal and shivering on the floor. More tendrils of flesh crept across the wall, but the closet door stayed closed. Searing fire scoured her every nerve, but she held on with all the strength she had… because letting the Demon out would be incalculably worse. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to replace the awful images the Seventh sent her with something else, anything else… <em>Yuki-chan…<em>

Miyuki. The warmth of her embrace, the color of her skin, the heat that she always felt inside when they were together. Nights when the air hung heavy with the perfume of their sweat, when they lay so close together that they could hear each other's hearts beating. Miyuki Takara, the person that she loved with all her heart… She could almost feel her arms around her now…

Inexplicably, the Seventh started to laugh. _"This is your defense? Haaah hah hah hah… Let me tell you something, Tsukasa… your Miyuki, your love, your feelings? Lies, all lies."_

"No."

_"Haaah. The person that you think you love doesn't exist. She's a reflection."_

"No!"

_"She only wants your body, your energy…"_

Tsukasa stood up.

* * *

><p>Though it made her tired muscles groan in protest, Kagami stumbled forward, opening her arms. "Tsukasa, no!"<p>

"Kagami, what are you doing?!" Homura's practiced calm briefly failed her, and the gun wavered for just a moment.

"Not like this! It doesn't end like this, do you hear me?" Hot tears spilled from Kagami's eyes as she stepped unsteadily toward her sister. "Not like this! You can fight it, I know you can! I'm here, Tsukasa, I'm right here!"

"_Onee-chan_," Tsukasa whispered, holding herself tight. "I… I feel it inside… I'm keeping it locked away, but it's h-hurting me…"

"It's okay." Against all logical sense, Kagami smiled. "It's gonna be okay, because I'm here. Because I love you…"

Homura watched in awe and confusion as the silhouettes of feathered wings unfurled from the backs of both twins: white wings for Tsukasa, black wings for Kagami, both pairs ghostly and insubstantial, like they were made of shifting mist… _Is that… They look almost like-_

"Homura," said Kagami without looking back. "Take Konata and the others and go back to the café. Tell everyone else that's there to get out."

"Don't be a fool, I can't leave you here! It's-"

"I know," she said as her wings spread wide. "I know it's dangerous, but I want to teach this thing a lesson for hurting my sister."

Homura bit the inside of her cheek. She felt so lost… she was supposed to be the one in charge, the one who explained everything. Her mission used to be so simple: protect the Hiiragis. But now who was protecting who? The lines were blurred… She took one last longing look at the shadowy wings, then nodded and turned over her shield.

* * *

><p>By the time Homura blinked into existence next to her, Konata had managed to pull herself up onto her elbows. "Akemi-san," she groaned, trying to move her deadened legs. "G-good timing…"<p>

"Izumi, can you stand? What happened?" she asked as she offered her hand.

"Don't think so, not yet. I…" Here Konata smiled sheepishly as she reached up to take it. "I tried to make a contract-"

Homura's grip tightened so hard that Konata winced. The Puella Magi shot a glare as cold as a midwinter's night at the Incubator now sitting to the other girl's left. "Did you."

_To be fair,_ said Kyubey, _it was her idea, and she _did _ask to know the risks first…_

"S-sorry," stammered Konata, unnerved. This wasn't anything like when Kagami got angry… Kagami just shouted and acted _tsundere_, but Homura looked like she was considering murder. "I'm really sorry, I just wanted to-"

"It's not your fault," said Homura, deathly quiet. To Kyubey, she sent a private telepathic message: _You and I are going to discuss this _thoroughly _later._

"But it didn't work, anyway…" said Konata. "I'm not a Puella Magi, Kyubey said my Soul Gem didn't appear…"

She didn't have time to be surprised by that, or wonder how it could be possible. "Be very, very thankful that it didn't. Climb onto my back," said Homura, kneeling down so Konata could put her arms around her shoulders.

"Wh-what's going on, anyway?" asked Konata, looking over at the two winged figures. "What's that thing doing to Tsukasa, and what's with the wings? Are they gonna be okay?"

"I honestly don't know." With her passenger secured, Homura turned her shield over again. The world froze and turned to greyscale, and she took off at a run toward the Lair's entrance. "Hold on to me as tightly as you can."

"Wait, what are you doing?! You're not leaving them, are you?"

"I need to get you and the others out of here."

"But…" Konata stammered again. "What about Tsukasa and Kagamin?!"

"I don't think Kagami needs my help…" It hurt to admit that, it really did. Homura turned her shield upright again as they reached the very edge of the barrier. The world resumed its course, and she plunged through the billowing clouds of fog until she felt the solid wooden floor of the café's stage underneath her feet. Relieved, she drew in several breaths of fresh, clean air, free of the scent of blood and death, taking just a short moment to let it calm her… That done, she set Konata gently down on the floor, then turned to face her, putting her hands on the other girl's shoudlers. "Izumi-san, we'll talk about this once the Demon is dead. For now, just rest… I'm going back in for your friends."

Konata nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah. You do that. Go get Patty and the others… and make sure you bring Tsukasa back too, okay?"

"And where _is_ Tsukasa, exactly?" The voice came from one of the tables. The café was deserted save for one person, who sat near the foot of the stage with her arms crossed, her foot tapping impatiently against the floor.

Konata looked over Homura's shoulder to see who it was, and let out an audible _gulp._ "H-Hey, Miyuki-san…"

Homura froze.

"Akemi-san, Konata-san," said Miyuki, adjusting her glasses. "I believe the two of you owe me an explanation."

* * *

><p><em>Oh, how easy it would be<em>, the Second thought as she glared at the two girls on the stage. _To eliminate both the Puella Magi and Izumi in one fell swoop, while they're both distracted. No more distractions. No more hiding. Finally, an end to this charade._

But no, damn it all, that wasn't possible. That wasn't the plan. Everything they had left depended on maintaining that plan, and that meant keeping her cover for just a little while longer.

However, she could at least be convincingly angry with the two of them, and enjoy watching them squirm as they tried to explain themselves. The deception would hold up, for now.

Izumi was babbling something at her about a stage show gone wrong, but the Puella Magi silenced her with a look and stood up, brushing back her hair. "Takara-san," she said, turning to face her, "I dislike telling lies. I do owe you an explanation, but right now isn't the time. There are four innocent lives in danger. Only I can help them, so please, watch over Izumi-san until I return with the others."

The Second kept her face set and nodded to her hated enemy. "Of course, Akemi-san."

* * *

><p>Tsukasa's wings disappeared. Once again the searchlights shone from her eyes, and a crimson aura surrounded her body. The force of that aura pushed against Kagami like the hand of a giant, threatening to topple her over, but she pressed forward, shielding her eyes against the glare… "Tsukasa, keep fighting! I know you can do it!"<p>

The Seventh snarled. _"Haaah… she can't hear you any longer, little fool. Her strength is gone."_

"You're lying!" Kagami took another slow step forward, reaching into the aura… it felt like it was flaying away at her skin. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she brought her wings forward to partly cover herself. "Tsukasa's stronger than you know! She can hear me, I'm sure of it!" The stormy sky above them cracked like glass struck by a hammer, and a great shudder ran the length of the Lair. The heaving of the ground almost made Kagami lose her footing, but she took another step into the bloody aura. The searchlights from her eyes were too bright to see anything else now… she shut hers tight and thrust both hands forward… "Tsukasa, whatever you're doing, keep it up! Keep fighting!"

_"Haaah! She can't hear you, she can't-"_

"I believe in you, Tsukasa! You're not alone!" Kagami's hands were scoured to the bone now, her body was on fire… _Keep going_, she told herself. _The pain's not real, it's just an illusion… _"Please, Tsukasa!"

One sister's hand broke through the wall of crimson energy, smoking and singed… and was grasped by the other.

* * *

><p>"You…" said Tsukasa to the Demon behind the door as she clenched her fists. "You don't know anything." The thought of embracing Miyuki again was filling her with strength and power.<p>

_"Haaah… little fool. Have you so thoroughly fallen into delusion…?"_

"Sh-shut up!" she cried as she stamped her foot against the floor. There was a spark in her heart, igniting into a flame with the force of her anger, quickened by her emotion. "You don't understand… about friendship, or love, or anything! You're nothing but… but darkness and hate and… _and I'm not gonna let you hurt anyone else!_"

* * *

><p>Tenderly, Kagami put her arms around her sister, laid her head on her shoulder. "Tsukasa…"<p>

A heartbeat later, Tsukasa did the same. "_Onee-chan…_"

* * *

><p>The white wings reemerged from Tsukasa's back. Both sets of wings enveloped the girls, opposite-colored feathers setting off sparks as they touched each other…<p>

Somehow, in that moment, Tsukasa knew what she had to do. All the energy she was putting into keeping that door closed, she had to take back into herself. She had to let it open. The girl closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and clasped her hands together…

The closet door was blown off its hinges, and the Demon's shape emerged, three meters tall and pale as death, clad in white robes and with a skull that flickered into multicolored facets. The Seventh roared and lunged for Tsukasa, its flesh and bone racing across the wall, devouring it like a cancer. Its hands grasped for the girl's neck to snap it like a twig…

It never had a chance. Tsukasa's eyes snapped open, filled with stars. Her wings unfurled from her back. She took all the strength of her love for Miyuki and directed it into one huge blast of white flame that erupted from her heart. The Seventh was caught up in that blast and incinerated, reduced to nothing but floating ashes.

* * *

><p>"Tsukasa! <em>Kagamin!<em>"

Still in each other's arms, they fell to the stage together as the Lair collapsed and dissolved like a bad dream. They barely felt it as Konata clumsily attempted to hug them both at the same time, bouncing up and down with such joy that it was astonishing to think she was almost paralyzed only moments ago.

Patricia and the Zakenna girls were there too, sleeping peacefully on what was left of their costume, just a few feet from where Homura and Miyuki sat by the footlights, in the midst of a long conversation. Kyubey sat in Homura's lap, his tail twitching back and forth.

"All right, all right, we're fine, so knock it off," said Kagami shakily, waving an arm to push Konata away. "God, you're like a puppy…"

Barely deterred, Konata tried to peer over Kagami's shoulder. "Is Tsukasa gonna be okay?"

Tsukasa's reply was weak. "Th-think so… Need some water…"

"Right!" Konata slammed a fist into her palm and clambered to her feet. "One water, coming up!" She rushed off the stage so fast she almost tripped.

When she was gone, Kagami looked up and smiled gratefully at the dark-haired girl… only to have the smile drop off her face as she saw the person sitting next to her. "M-Miyuki…?"

Miyuki nodded curtly. "Kagami-san."

"She knows," said Homura simply. "I thought it best to-"

"_Yuki-chan…!_" Tsukasa was a blur of motion. She dashed to the foot of the stage and almost knocked Miyuki into a footlight. "Oh, Yuki-chan, I'm so sorry, I should have told you, I _wanted_ to tell you, but-"

"There, there," said Miyuki, gently patting her back. "It's all right. I forgive you. I understand now."

"Yuki-chan… Yuki-chan, I thought I was never gonna see you again…"

Feeling suddenly empty, Kagami rose to her feet. She was very grateful when Homura moved to catch her as she fell an instant later… whatever power she had been using in the Lair, it had left her exhausted. "Thanks," she whispered. "You did it, you got everyone out… Thank you…"

Homura closed her eyes. "Not everyone."

* * *

><p>It was only in the kitchen that Konata started to cry. It was right here that she and Aya made drinks just a few hours ago. Over there she had once done an emergency stitching job when one of Patty's stockings ran right before a show. Her clothes were still in one of the storage lockers in the back, they probably even still smelled like her, maybe they were even still warm. Poor Aya, she would never come back to get those clothes. They would never perform on stage together again. Aya…<p>

The tears came with heavy choking sobs. It was unfair. Aya hadn't done anything wrong, she had died trying to protect her friends, and she never even knew… Never knew the truth about Demons and magical girls and the sacrifice Konata had been prepared to make…

"Kona-chan?" Patricia Martin came around the corner, yawning. "Hey, Kona-chan, what happened? Your friend Akemi said a pipe must have burst above us or something, but why did… Kona-chan? You okay? What's wrong?"

Konata hurriedly rubbed her eyes and put on a cat smile for her friend's sake. "N-nothing, Patty-chan, it's nothing. It's just…" She sniffled and looked around at the familiar little kitchen, at the frilly maid headdresses sitting on a shelf, at the props lying scattered around. How she loved this café, her first job, a place where she could truly be herself… but everything was different now. "It's just…" she continued, "I… I'm sorry, but I think I'm gonna have to quit. I can't work here anymore."

Patricia's blue eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "Q-quit? Why? Wasn't the show any good? Why would you do that?"

"No, no," said Konata hurriedly, waving her hand. "The show was fine, really it was, it was great… I've just… got a lot on my mind right now."

"Hrm…" Patricia frowned and crossed her arms. "I guess I can't stop you, but it's gonna be tough to replace you in our act, you do such a great Haruhi with me and Aya, you know?" She stopped and looked around. "Where is Aya, anyway?"

Konata swallowed. "She… I think she went home."

* * *

><p>The reunion was interrupted by a sudden coughing fit from Tsukasa.<p>

"Hey, are you okay? Tsukasa, what's the matter?" Kagami felt panic rising in her breast as she gently pounded on her sister's back. "Tsukasa?"

Miyuki drew back from Tsukasa's embrace. "Oh dear, Tsukasa-chan, are you sick again? Should I call for a-"

Tsukasa leaned over, put her hand to her mouth, and retched… her hand came back holding a translucent black cube with a spindle rammed through it. "_Onee-chan,_" she said wearily as she looked at the Curse Seed and shuddered, "I think I wanna go home now…"

"We will," said Kagami, taking it from her and passing it to Homura, who placed it inside her shield. "We will, really soon. Never mind, Miyuki, I think she'll be okay now." _I hope._

To her surprise, Tsukasa turned to Homura next. "Akemi-san, I…"

Homura blinked. "Tsukasa?"

"I need a favor. Something only you can do."

Confused, Homura looked back and forth from sister to sister before she answered. "Yes…?"

Tsukasa put a trembling hand to her forehead. "The Demon… it put… memories inside me. Awful ones, from the people that it… that it k-killed... Can you… take them out? I… I don't want-"

Beside her, Miyuki tensed.

A painful memory surfaced inside Homura as she turned away. In her world, one of the Hiiragis had asked her to do something similar, and when she refused, it led to catastrophe… But this was different. These memories weren't Tsukasa's. There was no reason for her to bear them, to suffer the trauma of the Demon's victims in addition to her own. She thought about what _she_ might do, and that was it, the decision was made. Mercy was the answer. "I will," she said to Tsukasa, nodding. "I'll do my best."

"Can you really do that?" asked Kagami, looking fearful.

"Ordinarily, no, but foreign memories should be easier to find and separate from hers. Tsukasa, if you would, please. This will be easier if you're relaxed." She knelt on the stage and patted her lap.

"I'll try." Tsukasa swallowed and gave Miyuki's hand a squeeze for support. She then closed her eyes, turned her back, and laid her head down. She shivered a little as Homura's cool fingers found her temples and pressed gently…

Homura found the victims' memories without much effort. They were angry, twisting things, discolored whirlpools in the ocean of Tsukasa's thoughts. When she tugged the first one free, she felt a wave of sympathy for the girl, and knew that she was doing the right thing after all… the Demon had clearly chosen only its most violent, savage kills to implant into her. With a gentle hand she plucked each victim's memory away from the whole, regarded it for a moment with disgust, and scattered it into nothingness with a small bolt of power.

Then she stumbled across something in Tsukasa's mind, buried deep down, that nearly made her drop the girl in shock. Only her storied self-control kept her focused on the task at hand; losing concentration during this process could have disastrous consequences. Trying hard not to let the discovery rattle her, she continued with her work, steadily calming the ocean of thought, until at last it was smooth and tranquil once more.

"Th-thank you," said Tsukasa when she was finished, sitting up dizzily. "Thank you, Akemi-san. I owe you one."

"Come here," said Miyuki, drawing the other girl into her arms. "It's going to be all right now."

Homura sat still and said nothing.

"Homura?" Kagami noticed the expression of worry on her face, faint though it was. She frowned and put a hand on Homura's shoulder and shook gently. "Homura, what is it?"

Homura stared at her, at a loss for words. How could she tell her? What words could she possibly use to tell Kagami what she had found? "Later," she said quietly, "I'll tell you later."

In truth, she wanted to do nothing of the sort, for she dreaded the inevitable moment when she would have to tell Kagami the truth: that she was not the first to alter her precious sister's memories…

**END OF CHAPTER 22**


	23. Chapter 23: Treasure the Time You Have

**CHAPTER 23: Treasure the Time You Have**

**Homura Akemi's Apartment, Satte**

**Hours Later**

The door clicked softly shut behind Homura, and she breathed a rare sigh of relief before slipping out of her shoes. Carefully she set down each of the many packages Konata had given her, right there in the entranceway. She would open them later, there was business to attend to.

Her apartment was tiny and mostly bare of decoration, save for a few city maps pinned to the walls. If she wanted to, she could use magic to change that; it was even possible to make it look almost exactly like her old home back in Mitakihara, with its cavernous white sitting room graced with clockwork and holographic displays… but that place was long destroyed, firmly in the past, and she preferred it that way. Too many painful memories associated with it. This apartment, small and threadbare as it was, now felt more like home than Mitakihara ever did, even with all its splendor and advanced technology.

Homura brushed her hair back, crossed the room, and sat in a simple high-backed chair to wait, resting her pistol and its attachment in her lap.

She didn't have long to wait. He appeared in her window only moments later. _Hello, Homura._

"Kyubey," she said to him by way of greeting.

The Incubator tilted his head. _Are you angry with me? I can never tell._

"Yes."

_Ah._

Homura kept herself calm and controlled. So much had changed between the two of them over the years that she had almost forgotten what it was like to feel this way toward him. "You do remember what my first instructions were to you upon coming to this world, don't you?"

_I do,_ said Kyubey.

"And what were those instructions?"

_You told me not to attempt to make contracts with any humans under any circumstances, unless it was absolutely certain you were dead or faded._

"That's right. And today, what did you do with Konata Izumi while I was incapacitated in the Lair?"

_I attempted to make a contract with her. For some reason, it didn't work._

"Correct." The reason it didn't work was still a mystery, but now wasn't the time to discuss that. "Would you please explain to me what led you to make that attempt?"

Kyubey hopped down off the sill and cautiously walked toward her. _Konata asked to know the truth, about wishes, the Soul Gems, the Law of Cycles, all of it. She didn't agree to make the contract until she understood everything. Her life, along with the lives of Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi, was in genuine danger, as was yours. It was the logical thing to do to preserve the multiverse._

"But you knew I wasn't dead or faded, didn't you?"

_Yes, I knew._

Homura looked him straight in his round red eyes. "And yet you attempted to make the contract with her anyway, despite my instructions. Why was that, Kyubey?"

There was a long pause, quite uncharacteristic for him. _I…_

"I asked you a question. Why, Kyubey?"

_I didn't want you to die._

They stared at each other. Once again, Homura reminded herself that this was far from the Kyubey that she used to know… far from what he used to be, but still an Incubator, still an alien being with no real comprehension of emotion or the value of a human life. She knew that, and yet here he was, expressing something completely foreign to his species: personal desire. It made what she knew she had to do that much harder.

_Homura?_ he said carefully. _If I may make an observation…_

"Go ahead."

_We have worked together for a long time. More than two and a half years, isn't it? After all this time, I still can't fully understand or predict your emotional responses, but I have come to predict your… irrationality._

"'Irrationality?'" A small part of her took great offense at that.

_More or less,_ said Kyubey. _ I knew that if harm came to any one of those humans while you were recovering, you would place the blame on yourself, despite the fact that there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. Blaming yourself would be highly irrational behavior that could prove detrimental to the mission, so I thought it only logical to use any means to prevent you from feeling that way. However, I also suspected at the time that doing so would make you angry._

"I see."

_Even so, though, I can understand why my actions may have been in error._

"Was that an apology?"

Another pause. _Of a sort, I suppose._

"Then I suppose I'll have to accept it." Silently she picked up the pistol, screwed the silencer attachment to the barrel, and aimed it at him. "This can never happen again. You understand that, don't you?"

Kyubey sighed and closed his eyes. _Yes, I understand._

"Good."

The pistol fired, and Kyubey slumped to the floor.

Calmly Homura rested the smoking weapon back in her lap and closed her eyes to wait. It took longer than normal. Roughly five minutes later, another Kyubey appeared at the windowsill in the same spot as the first, eyeing the corpse with something akin to disdain. He sighed again. _I suspected that you would do that as well._

Homura let herself slump in the chair and kneaded her forehead. "I'm sorry," she said to him without looking up.

That was a first. _Homura, are you all right? You seem very troubled._

"It's…" She bit her lip. How to explain it?

_Is it the girl who was killed today, Aya?_

"Yes," Homura admitted, "but it's more than that. It's Tsukasa…"

_What about her?_

"Her memory has been… altered. Modified, by something… no, someone… who knew what they were doing, someone who knew how to cover their tracks. I almost didn't see it, but the traces were there."

_Demonic energy?_

"Yes…" A shudder passed down her spine. Being attacked and possessed by a Demon was one thing, but _this…_ "She's being manipulated, and she doesn't even know it… How can I tell her? How can I tell Kagami?"

_I don't quite understand your reluctance,_ said Kyubey. _If you suspect she's been Branded, telling them would be the most prudent course of action. _

"I know, I know!" She clenched her hands into fists in frustration. "But if I tell them and I'm wrong, it will destroy their trust in me. And if I'm right…"

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya<strong>

**One Week Later **

**(JULY 7****th****, 2007)**

"Good morning, Kagami, happy birthday! How does it feel to be seventeen?"

"Not much different than sixteen," said Kagami to her mother as she sat up in bed, yawning and scrubbing sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. "Thanks, Mom. Is Tsukasa up yet?"

Miki chuckled and shook her head. "Sleeping like a log."

"Typical." Kagami lifted her arms toward the ceiling in a mighty stretch. "Mmmh… think I'll get dressed and walk to the shrine before I have breakfast, okay?"

"That sounds like a plan," said Miki, smiling proudly. "It's a good time to pay your respects."

"Yeah." _Especially this year, _she thought.

"You and Tsukasa are planning to work the festival tonight, aren't you?"

"Of course," said Kagami as she climbed out of bed. "Don't we always?"

As the shower's spray of heated water cascaded down on her, she reflected back on what had happened since the last Demon was defeated. The cosplay café was temporarily closed, now that Aya's disappearance had come to light. Kagami was deeply worried about Konata, but other than being a little quieter than usual she seemed to be weathering it about as well as could be expected. She still planned to quit her job, of course, and no one could blame her for that. Poor Konata… Kagami always talked about her need to grow up and face reality, but she never wanted it to happen because of something like this. Now she was seeing Konata's flights of fancy in a different light… they were just another defense against the darkness.

Miyuki's reaction to all this was another concern. According to Homura, she had taken the truth surprisingly well… maybe a little _too_ well. Aside from intent to keep an even closer eye on Tsukasa than before, she seemed the same old Miyuki. Part of Kagami wondered when the other shoe was going to drop, when the shock would hit her in full force. _I wonder if she even really understands what's going on,_ she thought as she twisted the knob to turn the water off. Dripping wet, she reached out of the stall and groped to find the towel rack. _Maybe we should talk, just make sure she knows the score, so she's not in any more danger… but not today._ Today wasn't the day for that, it was a day to be happy and normal, not to mention thankful.

* * *

><p><strong>Takanomiya Shrine<strong>

The early morning air was chill with fingers of mist as Kagami approached the quiet little shrine surrounded by maple trees. She shivered and rubbed her arms, wishing she had worn longer sleeves. Upon reaching the _haiden_, she dropped a few yen in the offering box, then tugged on the red and white rope to ring the bell, clapped her hands twice, and bowed her head. _Dear God,_ she thought, closing her eyes. She paused, trying to articulate her thoughts. It was more difficult than usual. _Thank you for watching over us. Please keep us healthy and safe from harm in the coming year…_ That sounded good, if a little prosaic. _All I really want…_ She stopped to think. _All I really ask for this year is happiness my friends and family. Mom, Dad, Tsukasa, Inori, Matsuri, Konata, Miyuki… and Homura…_

Just as she thought that name, she smelled a faint scent of lilacs and heard the bell ring again. She was there, with a prayer of her own. Kagami cracked one eye open to take a look.

Homura was wearing all white today, a sleeveless camisole dress that Kagami had never seen her wear before. The red ribbon was woven between her fingers in her tightly clasped hands, her head bowed in respect.

Kagami wondered whether this girl would ever stop surprising her. This was a side of Homura she had never seen before; it felt almost like an invasion of privacy to watch her pray. Her cheeks flushing faintly pink, Kagami hurriedly finished her prayer, clapped her hands again, and moved a few steps away to wait.

It didn't take long. Homura brushed her hair back with the gesture that was growing so familiar as she turned around. She had the ribbon retied in seconds, before she even reopened her eyes. Smiling gently at the sight of Kagami, all she said was, "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," said Kagami, rubbing the back of her neck in embarassment. "Do you… visit shrines often?"

"Sometimes."

The mist curled around their ankles for a few moments as each waited for the other to speak next.

"So do you want to come to the party?" Kagami blurted out finally.

Homura's smile disappeared as she looked away. "I… dislike birthdays," she said with just a touch of bitterness. "I'm sorry. Besides, I don't want to intrude…"

"No, no, it's fine, you're not intruding! You're one of us now, practically part of the family! You can come if you want to!"

"Thank you, but I can't," said Homura, closing her eyes. "There are things that I must attend to-"

"Oh okay, that's all right," said Kagami, waving a hand to conceal her disappointment. "You won't be missing much, just a cake and-"

"… however, I do have a gift for you."

Kagami's face began to burn. "Homura, you didn't have to-"

"I wanted to." She crossed to the stand that hung with _ema_, the multitude of prayer plaques and wishes, and bent to pick up a small leather purse that sat at the foot of the wooden post. Returning to Kagami, she fished inside and withdrew a small box, neatly tied with a red velvet bow.

Still blushing furiously, Kagami clutched the box to her chest and bowed. "Th-thank you, Homura. Should I open it now, or…?"

"Yes, please."

Her fingers fumbled a bit with the bow before she pulled it away. Her eyes grew wide… inside the box, resting in a nest of cotton, was a gold watch with a handsome black wristband. Underneath its glass surface, the numbers were etched into the face with great care and skill. The winding knob on one side identified it as a clockwork timepiece, not an electronic one. She couldn't imagine where Homura could have found something like this. "Oh, Homura it's gorgeous…!"

"Allow me." The black-haired girl's cool hands took the watch and gently fastened it on Kagami's left wrist, then wound the knob until the gears sprung to life and the watch began ticking steadily... it was a beautiful, reassuring sound.

"I…" Kagami stammered. "I really don't know how to thank you, I don't deserve such a nice gift! Are you sure I should-"

"Yes." Homura's violet eyes met hers with that stare that had captivated her the day they first met. "I dislike marking birthdays, they remind me too much of the passage of time… but for you, I'm making an exception. I felt you needed this. It's not just a watch, it's a reminder. A reminder to treasure the time you have with your family and friends, and spend that time wisely."

A chill that had nothing to do with the mist seeped into Kagami's bones. "Homura…?"

Homura leaned close, took Kagami's hands, and gently kissed her cheek. The world held its breath. Then she pulled away and disappeared into the mist before Kagami could say anything more.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

**Later That Afternoon**

"Happy birthday, Tsukasa and one other person!"

"Don't abbreviate me!"

"Happy birthday, Kagami-san, Tsukasa-chan."

"Oh, thank you!" Smiling, Kagami took the bouquet of roses and sunflowers from Miyuki as she and Konata entered.

"Thanks, Yuki-chan!" Tsukasa giggled as she took a sniff of her own bouquet.

"Hey," said Konata, looking past Kagami's shoulder. "Is Akemi-san here? I wanted to ask her some more stuff…"

"No, she's not," Kagami sighed. "She said she had other things to do today. Don't you go bothering her again, got that?"

"Yeah, yeah." Konata said dismissively. Then she caught sight of Kagami's wrist, and her eyes doubled in size. "Whoa, Kagamin, _score!_ Who gave you _that,_ it's beautiful!"

Scarlet tinged her cheeks. "Homura," she said, looking to one side. "She was at the shrine this morning." Something about the way Homura had acted was still bothering her, but she couldn't quite articulate what…

"Man," said Konata with an appreciative whistle, "she's gotta be as rich as Miyuki-san or something!"

"Isn't it nice? _Onee-chan _has such a good friend," said Tsukasa, patting her sister's shoulder.

_More than a friend,_ Kagami thought as she blushed deeper.

Miyuki chuckled and presented the two sisters with a pair of small blue gift bags. "I don't suppose I can compete with that… These are just simple things, but thought they would make nice gifts."

"Oooh, what is it?" Kagami fought back a chuckle as Tsukasa snatched her gift from Miyuki's hand at lightning speed. _Still just a little kid, despite everything._

"Please, open it."

They did. Inside Kagami's bag was a jewelry box containing a beautiful set of blue earrings, ("Wow, thank you, Miyuki!") and Tsukasa opened -

"Y-Yuki-chan!"

- a bracelet composed of hawthorne beads carved in the shape of _magatama_. A perfect gift for a shrine maiden. Tsukasa threw her arms around Miyuki and hugged her tight, then kissed her full on the lips while Kagami coughed politely and tried not to notice.

"Hey, hey, you two, save it for your date later," Konata chuckled, not bothering to look away at all. "Besides, you still need to open what _I_ got you, you're gonna love 'em!"

_Oh lord._ Kagami's heart sank as Konata produced two cheap plastic bags that were clearly from some store in Akihabara. "Konata, what's this?"

"Open it, open it!"

She tore into the packaging, and came up with – "What the hell…?"

"It's a _Powerpuff Girls Z_ transformation compact!" Konata beamed with pride. "You wear it on your belt, just like Momoko, see? It has lights and sounds and everything for when you _henshin_! Try it on!"

"Konata…" Kagami rubbed her brow. Any worries that Konata wasn't acting like herself were rapidly evaporating. "_Why_ would you buy this for me?"

The blue-haired girl cat-smiled. "I thought it would really suit you!"

"I think it would suit you better than me…"

"Then what about this?" said Tsukasa next to her, sounding perplexed.

Kagami dared to take a look, and nearly fell over. It was some pink rubber and latex costume thing from… _Cardcaptor Sakura?_

"It was expensive!" said Konata. With a ribald wink, she added, "Treat it well when you wear it… I thought it might be handy for when you and Miyuki _mmmph…_"

Feeling a sizeable vein pop out on her forehead, Kagami clapped a hand over her friend's mouth before she that sentence could go somewhere even more uncomfortable. "Why do you insist on trying to make the two of us cosplay?!"

Konata pushed her hand away. "Oh, c'mon. Sakura and Momoko are strong and powerful magical girls, just like you guys! I can't appreciate the charms of independent women?"

Kagami glared at her as she waited for the punch line.

"… and I thought it would be totally hot if Tsukasa and Miyuki had a cosplay tryst for one of their dates, of course," said Konata with another, even more lecherous wink.

"Of course." Kagami pressed her face into her hands in what was becoming a trademark gesture.

* * *

><p>After a meal of birthday cake (chocolate with strawberries, both twins' favorite) and homemade cookies (baked by Tsukasa with Kagami's assistance, which of course prompted a snarky comment or two from Konata), the four went their separate ways: Tsukasa and Miyuki left for their date, while Kagami and Konata took the train back to the Izumi residence for a pleasant afternoon of video games, coupled with the usual sniping at each other. All in all, it was a good birthday, if not a particularly exciting one. True, it would have been better if Homura were able to join the celebration, but Kagami well understood by now that the Puella Magi's duties came before all else. If she said she had to work, she had to work, and there could be no argument.<p>

On the train ride back home, Kagami felt herself shift into her own "work mode"... as soon as she got home, she would need to start preparing for that evening's Tanabata festival. It was like this every year; there were always offerings and prayer slips to collect, visitors to assist, talismans to sell… no time to be slacking off. As a result, the festival had never felt like a holiday to her; sometimes she wondered what it would be like to attend it as just an ordinary girl instead of a shrine maiden.

She was so preoccupied in thinking about her duties for that evening that when she came home and opened the door, it took her a moment to even register the shouting from inside.

It took even longer to realize that the person shouting was Tsukasa.

"But it's not _fair…!_" Kagami had never heard her raise her voice like that before. She stopped halfway through the door, not wanting to eavesdrop, but unable to ignore the sound… what on earth could make Tsukasa so upset?

"I'm sorry, Tsukasa," said her father's voice, uncommonly stern. "This is the way it has to be for now. No exceptions."

"I… I…" Her sister's voice had that familiar quiver that indicated she was about to burst into tears. Kagami braced herself for a noisy crying fit… and was totally unprepared for what came next. "_I hate you! I hate you…!_"

Unable to contain herself any longer, Kagami shut the door, kicked off her shoes, and stepped out of the _genkai_, heading for the living room where the voices had come from. "Tsukasa, wha-"

A weeping violet and white blur raced past her and up the stairs; Tsukasa didn't so much as slow down. Seconds later, she heard the sounds of her sister's bedroom door shutting with a violent slam.

Kagami found herself staring at nothing in particular, in total shock. It was as if she had entered a stranger's home, none of this felt real. Tsukasa shouting at her father, saying such a horrible thing to him… She felt numb, about to faint…

"Kagami?" Inori came around the corner, her featured wrinkled in a rare frown. "I'm… I'm sorry you had to walk in on that…"

"Inori, what the hell _happened?!_" said Kagami to her oldest sister.

She shook her head sadly. "I can barely believe it myself. This started before she came home from her date… Dad got a call from the manager of a love hotel in Tokyo, he was concerned about her." Inori bit her lip. "It turns out that's where they've been going on all those dates. Her and Miyuki, I mean… and she's been paying for it by stealing Dad's credit card."

Kagami lost her footing and stumbled forward, her mind reeling. How could Tsukasa, _her_ Tsukasa, ever even think of doing such a thing? A love hotel, stolen credit cards… now it didn't just feel like she had entered a stranger's home, but a different world entirely. "How… _why_ would she-"

"It gets worse," said Inori sadly as she looked up the stairs. "She's apparently been sneaking out to see her late at night for at least a couple weeks."

"She…" Bile rose in her stomach, she felt like she might be sick…

Miki Hiiragi was the first to emerge from the living room, weary and red-eyed. "Kagami," she whispered as she took her into her arms. "Kagami, I'm so sorry. No one wanted this to happen today, but…"

It was perhaps the first in her life that Kagami took no comfort from her mother's embrace. "Mom, what did you and Dad _do?!_ What made her-" She couldn't even bear to say it, her stomach couldn't take it.

Miki sighed and ran a hand through her long dark hair. "I've spoken with Yukari-san, Miyuki's mother… we've forbidden the two of them from seeing each other."

Now Kagami's heart seized up, contracted in her chest as if the blood were rushing out of it. It was the most logical punishment, of course, but it seemed… _cruel_, too cruel for words. She pulled away from her mother and listlessly headed up the stairs.

Her feet took her to Tsukasa's door without her intention. There was muffled sobbing from inside. Her hand knocked twice, softly, and her voice whispered hollow. "Tsukasa?"

"Go away."

Still feeling a surreal disconnect between her will and her body's actions, Kagami heard herself speak. "Tsukasa, I'm so sorry, but… but you know they're right."

"Go away!"

"Just talk to me, please, tell me!" She laid her hand flat on the surface of the door. "Tsukasa, what were you thinking?! I knew you and Miyuki were… but to do _that…_"

There was a soft _thump_ against the other side of the door as Tsukasa threw her pillow. "_Just go away!_"

"I'm sorry," Kagami said again. Her feet moved once more on their own, taking her to her own room, her own bed. The sobbing from Tsukasa's room pursued her all the way.

* * *

><p><strong>Later That Evening<strong>

Kagami lay flat on her back, looking up at the ceiling and listening to the soft popping of distant fireworks. Inori, Matsuri, and her parents were already at the shrine… understandably, they had given the twins a little extra time. Kagami was already dressed in her red-and-white shrine maiden uniform, all ready to go and join them… but she couldn't lift herself off the bed.

Tsukasa had stopped crying about an hour ago. Kagami wanted to go to her room and comfort her, admonish her, do _something_, but nothing seemed right.

Kagami raised her arms toward the ceiling, and the sleeve of her robe slid down to reveal the watch on her left wrist. It read just past seven o'clock… its steady ticking somehow gave her more resolve. With a frustrated sigh, she forced herself off the bed and stood up, shaking the robes to free them of any wrinkles.

Like it or not, no matter what else might be going on, she and Tsukasa had a job to do tonight. Steeling herself for an argument, she marched to Tsukasa's room and threw open the door. "Tsukasa, it's time to-"

The room was empty. Pinned to the bedspread was a note in shaky handwriting, a note that Kagami knew she would never read. She already knew what it said. Tsukasa was gone.

Ice-cold fear seized Kagami, driving her to her knees, making her short of breath. _No_. She knew Tsukasa was upset, knew that she was hurting, but she never imagined that she would run away. What had happened to the precious little sister she thought she knew? It was as if she had been replaced by a clone, like in one of Konata's stupid movies… a clone that knew nothing of how the real Tsukasa should act.

_What do I do?_ The question bounced back and forth in her mind as she leaned against the door frame. _God help me, what do I do?_ The only sound was the ticking of her watch, steady and regular. She held it close to her frantically beating heart, willing it to give her strength… _I'll call her. She has to have her phone with her, she has to. _Taking a deep breath, she hiked up her baggy _hakama_ and ran down the stairs, skidding around a corner and making a flying leap for the phone in the foyer. After she jabbed out Tsukasa's cell number, she crossed her fingers and prayed…

_Beep._ _"Moshi-moshi, this is Tsukasa! I can't answer right now, so please-_"

"_Shit!_" Kagami slammed the phone back down. Now what? Keep breathing, that was important. Keep breathing and try someone else.

Her finger was poised over the keypad when the phone began to ring. Filled with impossible hope, Kagami pushed the power button and shrieked, "_Tsukasa!_"

It wasn't Tsukasa on the other end. It was a voice she didn't recognize, hesitant and barely above a whisper. _"I… I'm sorry. I was trying to reach the Hiiragi residence… I'll try again…"_

"No, no wait!" Kagami pressed the phone so hard to her ear so hard it left a red mark. "This is the Hiiragis, who is this?"

The voice paused. _"My name is Minami Iwasaki. I live across the street from Miyuki Takara._"

_God, please._ Kagami's heart began to beat faster. "You know Miyuki? Can you tell me where she is?"

There was another pause, much longer. _"No, I'm sorry. I was trying to call Tsukasa Hiiragi. I saw her together with Miyuki a week ago in Ikebukuro… I've wanted to call since then, but I haven't-"_ Kagami heard an audible swallow. _"I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't, it just isn't possible. Miyuki has been my friend since we were young, and that person that Tsukasa's been with… is _not_ Miyuki…"_

The phone slipped from Kagami's numb fingers…

**END OF CHAPTER 23**


	24. Chapter 24: It's All Your Fault

**CHAPTER 24: It's All Your Fault**

**Hiiragi Household, Takanomiya**

**July 7****th****, 2007**

Dread. Dread was the only word to describe the feeling of frigid arms that wrapped around Kagami and squeezed her tight as she sank to the floor, staring at the mark the phone had left in the floorboard when it fell. On the other end of the line, Minami Iwasaki was talking, saying more words that Kagami couldn't hear. All she could hear was the persistent ticking of her watch. It was cold, so very cold…

_Of course, _she thought numbly. It all made sense now; horrible, perverse sense. Miyuki and Tsukasa together, their relationship coming out of nowhere, suddenly having sex. Miyuki's bizarre, quiet acceptance of the truth about Homura and the Demons. Tsukasa's eagerness to do things with her friend that she never should have considered. Even the Second's uncanny ability to stay one step ahead of them at all times... all of it made sense. How could she have failed to realize it before? _It's Miyuki. The Second has replaced Miyuki._

"Iwasaki, how?" The phone was back at her ear, cradled in her hands. She couldn't remember picking it up. "How did you know?" she whispered. "How did you find out?"

_"Miyuki tells me everything,"_ said Iwasaki. Then, in a rush, _"She's been my best friend since we were small. If either of us ever started dating, we'd let each other know, and she didn't say anything to me, and I saw them holding hands, kissing… You're…"_ There was a pause. _"You're Tsukasa-san's sister, aren't you?"_

Kagami nodded, though of course the other girl couldn't tell. "Yes, I am."

_"You have to go to them,"_ said Iwasaki, a quiver in her voice. _"I don't know what's happening, if I should call the police, or if the real Miyuki's is even-"_ Iwasaki trailed off, the thought too horrible to say aloud.

"She has to be." Kagami had to believe that, with all her heart, or she would go insane. "I'll get them both back, her and Tsukasa, I promise. Iwasaki, thank you. Thank you so much."

_"Please, go to them. Protect them."_ _Click._

Kagami replaced the phone. Dimly she heard the whistle-_pop_ of the evening's first fireworks going off outside. Her mother and father, Inori and Matsuri… they were all at the Tanabata festival, overseeing the celebration. They didn't know Tsukasa was gone. They didn't know…

A wave of nausea sent her to her knees again. Her little sister was in the clutches of that _thing_, and had been for who knew how long. Weeks, _months_ maybe. The dread swelled up, the frigid arms constricted around her chest, she couldn't breathe. The Second. Desideria, her hated enemy, the monster that had tortured and violated Homura. The Second had seduced her sister. Tsukasa…

Inside Kagami, something pulsed. As fireworks exploded overhead, her veins filled with blood that boiled and froze both at once, and her eyes took on an eerie white glow. The ticking of her watch slowed to a crawl…

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

Tsukasa paused in her flight, and her duffel bag bumped against her shoulder. Up until now, she had been sure that the only thing to do was to go to Miyuki, to be by her side. Miyuki was her anchor, Miyuki could help the world make sense again, protect her from the sudden cruelty of their parents.

But now… a strange sensation made her stop and look over her shoulder, back the way she had come. For just a moment, she contemplated going back. "_Onee-chan_…?" she whispered to the empty sidewalk.

The detonation of another firework shook her out of her trance. Miyuki was waiting for her at the bus stop, she couldn't afford to dawdle. Wiping an inexplicable tear from her eye, Tsukasa gripped her bag tighter and took off.

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Satte<strong>

Kyubey's head snapped up at the same moment Homura's Soul Gem let off a fat spark of light. The Puella Magi cringed and clapped a hand to her temple, nearly tumbling from her perch on the tiled roof of the city office. It was likely she would have felt a surge like that even in her sleep… with her heightened senses in "scanning mode", the pulse drowned out everything else, filling her mind with static.

_Homura, you felt that, didn't you?_ asked Kyubey, who was sitting on her shoulder.

"Of course I did," she groaned, shaking her head to try to clear her thoughts. "Something's happened. Kyubey, you have to-"

_Go to Kagami, I know._

"I'll be right behind you. Tell her I'm on my way."

Kyubey vanished, leaving her alone. Homura took a moment to rub her arms, trying to calm a sudden eruption of goosebumps… then she turned over her shield and leapt to the next roof as the world froze. _Hold on, Kagami, please hold on…_

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

Kyubey appeared in front of a pathetic shape in shrine maiden's robes that lay shivering on the floor. Her aura of darkness prickled his skin the moment he materialized. With as much trepidation as an Incubator could feel, he thought at her, _Kagami? What's happened, what's wrong?_

"She's gone," croaked Kagami without looking at him, taking great fistfuls of her hair in her hands. "Tsukasa's gone… ran away…"

Kyubey tilted his head. _Oh my. That isn't good. Kagami, you should calm down-_

"Calm down?!" She fixed him with eyes that burned white-hot and seized him by the neck, her fingers closing around his throat. "You want me to calm _down?!_ You bastard, you were supposed to be watching us, making sure we were safe…! Miyuki was a Demon, she was the Second! She-"

_She was? Of course, that would make sense._ Largely unperturbed by her act of violence, Kyubey let himself relax in her grip. _Hiding in plain sight, as the human expression goes. No wonder we never found her._

_"Shut up!"_ she screamed, squeezing tight as she shook his small body. "_Damn you, shut up!_ You must have known Tsukasa was acting weird, you must have seen her leave! Why didn't you say anything?!"

_I was unaware that her behavior could be considered 'weird', and when I attempted to speak with her this afternoon about her emotional distress, she refused to answer me,_ he answered, still horribly calm as ever. _As for her leaving, by that time her energy fluctuations were such that I had difficulty sensing her at all. _He blinked. _Perhaps that's why neither I nor Homura sensed the Demon when she was disguised. Tsukasa's absorption abilities could have created a widespread muffling effect which-_

Rage bubbled up like magma inside Kagami, erupting from her mouth in a wordless animal howl as she throttled the little creature as hard as she could, her grip like a vise. Something snapped inside him, and his body went limp.

Her skin turned to ice, quelling the firestorm of her anger. "Kyubey?" The glow in her eyes disappeared, and the strange dark aura subsided… it was as if she were emerging from a nightmare, as if her hands hadn't been her own. "Kyubey…?"

His red eyes stared blankly at her, glassy and sightless. She became aware of the sound of her watch again, _tick tick tick tick…_

"K-Kyubey…?"

Kyubey's body dropped from her stiff fingers, his head crooked at an unnatural angle. It made a soft thud as it hit the wooden floor of the _genkai_.

She stared at the corpse silently as her watch ticked away the minutes… Only when another Kyubey came around the corner from the living room and asked if she was all right did she start to scream.

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

"Tsukasa-chan!"

_"Yuki-chan!"_ All doubts as to whether she was doing the right thing left Tsukasa as she caught sight of the pink-haired figure waiting for her under the awning at the bus stop. Flinging her duffel bag aside, she ran into Miyuki's embrace and began to bawl into the other girl's shoulder.

"Shh, shh, it's all right," said Miyuki, patting her back. "It's going to be all right."

"Yuki-chan…" Tsukasa sniffled. "I just can't believe it… h-how could they do this to us?!"

Softly Miyuki stroked her hair. "It was an overreaction, I agree."

Tsukasa held on tight, never wanting to let go. "It doesn't matter now. It doesn't matter… we'll… we'll go somewhere together and be happy, won't we?"

There was no answer.

"Yuki-chan…? What's wrong?"

Miyuki stared up at the bus stop's track lighting with an odd expression on her face; it reflected in the lenses of her glasses as she spoke. "The thing is, Tsukasa-chan… what if they're right?"

Tsukasa felt a sudden chill.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

_Is something wrong?_ asked Kyubey, cocking his head to one side.

Kagami scrambled backward on her rear, scooting away from the both the dead Kyubey and the living one. She couldn't decide which one made her want to vomit more. "You… how…?"

_Homura told you, didn't she?_ He sat on his haunches next to his corpse and placed a paw on it… the sight was so bizarre and off-putting that she wondered if she might not be sick right then and there.

A memory belatedly pushed its way through her revulsion. Something Homura had told her about "copies" of Kyubey, and how her attempts to kill him in the past had proven useless… and then she remembered a particularly horrifying description of what usually happened to said copies once they expired. She averted her eyes just in time, and plugged her ears to block out the horrid sounds of chewing as Kyubey did his work. "_God_, you're disgusting," she moaned.

_It's all in the name of efficiency_, Kyubey explained. _Much in the same way that a human would-_

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it…"

_I'm almost finished, anyway. In any case, Homura is on her way._

"Homura…" Kagami swallowed as she curled up, hugging her knees up against her chin. "Does she know?"

_She's close enough for telepathy now; I'm in the process of filling her in on the details. _Kyubey debated whether or not to inform Kagami that he and Homura had suspected something like this for a week now… ultimately, he decided against it. Her stress levels were dangerously elevated as it was, and there was no sense in risking the multiverse, not to mention another body.

"Let me talk to her, please!" She knew it sounded like begging, but she didn't care.

_All right, if you're sure._

The channel opened. Kagami once more felt the presence of Homura's mind, the battle plans and strategies already forming within it, and as always, her ironclad resolve… a resolve that helped give her the strength to stand, though she had to brace herself against the wall. _Homura… _Her vision began to blur. _I'm so scared. I need you._

_I'm coming, _said the Puella Magi. _Hold on just a little longer, I'm on my way._

Kagami wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and put a foot on the bottom stair. _No._ It was a grueling act of will to take each step, but with each she climbed she felt a little stronger. _Don't come to the house, give me directions and meet up with me on the way. I'll get my _bokken.

There was great concern in Homura's mental voice. _Are you sure you're prepared to fight?_

_No._ She sniffled and climbed another stair, clutching the balcony for support. _But I'm ready to make that bitch pay._

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

Tsukasa quivered in Miyuki's arms. "M-Miyuki, wh-what do you mean?"

"Oh Tsukasa, you know how much I care for you," said Miyuki, gently patting her on the shoulder. "But if it means going against our parents' wishes-"

"I don't _care_ about our parents!" Tsukasa's voice was shrill with dismay as she squeezed her lover tight. "I want to be with you, I don't care about anything else!"

"I know," whispered Miyuki. "I'm so sorry, Tsukasa, but I've been thinking…"

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

"Remember, whatever happens tonight, you must try to stay calm," said Homura as they ran hand-in-hand. Grains of sand trickled away inside her shield; there was a firework in mid-burst over their heads, its colors muted in the grayscale world of the time-stop. It took a lot of magic to travel this way, but magic meant nothing now, speed was of the essence. They had to recover Tsukasa, no matter what it took, no matter what…

Homura wouldn't let it show, but dread clawed at her in the pit of her stomach. Dread for Tsukasa, who at any moment might be hurt or killed or worse by the Second's cruel whims. She had done far, far too much damage already… Homura cursed the Demon for evading them for so long, and cursed herself for not realizing long before now. There should have been some kind of outward sign, some warning of the danger… or maybe there had been a sign, and she was simply too blind to see it… if so, it was her fault…

She felt dread for Kagami, who put up a brave front but was unstable underneath… Kyubey had told her privately about the strange aura and the glow in her eyes when she had snapped his neck. Vittoria was emerging, and only random chance had saved the multiverse from her this time. If Kagami broke down completely, all was lost. All her struggles, all her torment, everything would be for naught.

And lastly, she felt dread for herself, for facing Desideria again meant facing the nightmare, the fingers. All of the anxieties and traumas of the past few weeks threatened to surface within her, to overwhelm her with despair, but she absolutely could not let that happen, not now. So once more she buried her fears in the back of her mind and let the cold, battle-hardened Homura take over again. The Homura that could withstand anything for the sake of her mission. The Homura that she hated…

"Uh-huh, calm, right." Kagami was barely aware of any of this. Everything she had left was focused on moving forward and protecting her sister. At the moment, Homura's presence and the thought of Tsukasa were her sole defenses against the black, cold thing she felt moving in the back of her mind, the thing that had almost escaped when she strangled Kyubey. She knew what that thing was, and what it meant to do, and it terrified her beyond all reason… but she couldn't afford to feel that terror, not when there was still a chance, not when Tsukasa depended on her. With every ounce of strength she had, she ran through the frozen grayscale world, praying to anyone that might be listening that she would make it in time…

The time-stop ran out. The firework blossomed above them, its particles fluttering down… and before Homura could turn over the shield again, a dense fog swept up around their feet.

"_Shit!_" Kagami skidded to a stop. "Not now, not now!"

"Hold onto my hand!" Homura tightened her grip. "Hold on and stay calm!"

The fog enveloped them, swallowed them, and in seconds the sidewalk was empty.

* * *

><p><strong>The Eighth's Lair<strong>

Resolving with unnatural quickness, the shape of the Lair soon became apparent. It was formed like an immense sinkhole or a funnel, with a series of concentric circular ditches leading down to a center where something in the shape of a bare-branched tree loomed in the darkness. The soil beneath their feet was grey and dead, the sky overhead a uniform black. Nothing moved, nothing spoke… the only sound was the mournful howl of a low, cold wind.

Kagami felt her focus rapidly slipping away. "Homura, we don't have _time_ for this! We've got to get out of here, Tsukasa could already be-"

"Eveything is still stable, so she must still be alive and relatively unharmed." It was a cold response, but the only kind she could afford at the moment. Homura knelt down to the dead soil and withdrew her rocket launcher and ammo from behind her shield, a whirl of calculations already coming to mind. The tree was a stationary target; assuming that that was the Demon's main body, and that it couldn't move itself, one good shot would-

The ground quaked as a tall, thick spike emerged from the nearest of the concentric ditches. A huge black root that looked like it came from the tree-like thing at the Lair's center, its bark was gnarled and twisted, segmented into many pieces like the scales of a serpent. Its flesh bulged and stretched from within, there was something inside, trying to claw its way out. A hand.

Shrieking with impatience, Kagami drew her wooden blade from the belt of her miko robes. "Goddamn you, just come out already, whatever you are!"

"Steady, Kagami…" Homura adjusted her trajectory. The root was blocking the way, but a simple adjustment and it would be corrected. _One shot. Please, just give me one good shot…_

The shape straining inside the root burst through in a spray of water and orange blood and dropped in a heap to the soil. It at first appeared to be white and formless… but then it shifted, and Kagami saw that it was only a human wearing a white cape. It rattled her more than she would admit, expecting another hideous monster, when all it was just a girl-

"No," whispered Homura.

"What is it?" Kagami shifted her stance and chanced a look down at Homura, who had turned pale as driven snow. "What's the matter?"

The caped girl spoke. Her tone was brash and boyish, dripping with scorn. "Come on, what's that face for?" she asked mockingly as she put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you happy to see me… transfer student?"

Homura slowly rose to her feet, abandoning the rocket launcher, her violet eyes locked onto the caped girl. "Kagami," she said, her voice low and strained, "get behind me."

Fighting hard to keep calm, Kagami took a few steps backward. "What's the matter?" Then she began to realize, just from Homura's description from before, and from the haunted look on her face… "Is that-"

The caped girl spun around, giving them a good look at her attire: all blues and whites, a sleeveless and shoulderless top, a diagonal-cut skirt, thigh length leggings… a costume designed for ease of movement. Halfway through her turn, a cerulean spark of light appeared in one hand, resolving into a straight-blade cutlass. As she finished her pirouette, she winked, tossed back her short blue hair, and sank the sword point into the dead soil. "You got it! The ally of justice, Puella Magi Sayaka-chan is here!" Her face split into a terrifying smile.

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

Trembling, Tsukasa released her hold on the other girl. "M-Miyuki, no… you can't mean-"

Miyuki's shoulders sagged. "I truly am sorry, Tsukasa-chan, but when my mother confronted me this evening… I realized that what she was saying made sense. We really _are_ too young to be… intimate…"

"But-" Tsukasa stammered. "But that doesn't _matter!_ We've already-"

"We rushed into it," said Miyuki sorrowfully. "It was my fault, I shouldn't have pressured you."

"You _didn't!_ Miyuki, please-" Tears that Tsukasa couldn't feel rolled down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening, couldn't be happening…

Another firework burst in the sky above as Miyuki looked down. The fluorescent lighting of the bus stop caught in her glasses and obscured her eyes. "It has to be this way, Tsukasa. We… we can't see each other anymore."

Tsukasa stumbled back as if the words had struck her in the face. "No," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "No, Miyuki, no." Droplets spattered the sidewalk at her feet. "No, please, I love you… Tell me you love me, Miyuki, please! Tell me you love me!"

Miyuki stayed silent.

* * *

><p><strong>The Eighth's Lair<strong>

Kagami's heart hammered in her breast. She knew it was a trick, she _knew_ it was, it had to be. Homura's comrade was long dead… but here she was, not a ghost or an illusion or a zombie, but breathing, talking... "S-Stay back!"

The false Sayaka looked her in the eye. One corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk. "That's a such cute little sword you've got there. Maybe I'll give you a shot once I'm done tearing that transfer student apart, huh? I have a score to settle with her."

Gritting her teeth, Kagami hefted her own blade. "I'm warning you! I'll fight you if I have to!"

"Aw, c'mon." Sayaka giggled, a sound that made Kagami shiver. "That's hardly fair. If _she_ gets backup, so should I, right?"

Once more the ground began to rumble. Out of the ditch behind Sayaka rose two more serpentine roots, already bulging and ready to disgorge their contents. Water and Demon blood rained down as the bark split apart, and out of the wreckage climbed two more girls, two more Puellae Magi: one blonde, generously figured, dressed in clothes like those of a European rifleman, her finger on the trigger of an antique musket; the other a short, slim redhead in a sleeveless crimson longcoat, balancing the shaft of a spear on her shoulders, a stick of pocky clenched in her teeth.

"Good evening, Akemi-san," Mami Tomoe closed her eyes and made a curtsy.

"Yo, Homura," said Kyoko Sakura, flashing a fanged grin.

Kagami took several more steps back, beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead. "H-Homura…? What are we gonna do?"

"It's not them," said Homura, stone-faced but still unnaturally pale. "It's not them. This is merely a distraction." Was she trying to convince Kagami, or herself?

"Of course it's us, dumbass," Kyoko scoffed. "Now, are we gonna kill each other or just sit here yammering?"

A pang of loss rippled through Homura. It even _sounded_ exactly like Kyoko, every detail was perfect. In a lesser state of mind, she might have even believed that her dead friends were back for revenge. The Demon was playing on her guilt, just like Desideria, but this one had made a crucial mistake, a mistake that she would make it pay dearly for.

"Really, Akemi-san," chuckled Mami. "It's impolite to keep us wai-"

Clockwork ground to life inside Homura's shield as she withdrew her Desert Eagle and fired three quick, precise shots. When the time-stop ended, each bullet found its mark: the Soul Gems of the three false Puellae Magi. Fragments of the brightly-colored jewels glittered in the dark as their bearers' eyes dulled and they slumped to the ground like broken dolls.

"You-" Fumbling for words, Kagami gaped back and forth from the bodies to Homura in total shock. "You just-"

When Homura looked back at her, her stare was far from the usual expression of stony indifference that Kagami had grown used to. Her _eyes_… Kagami saw fury there, not burning and explosive like her own, but focused, bitter and icy as midwinter… For the first time, she saw in Homura someone willing to end lives without a shred of mercy or a tear of remorse. Only after looking into those eyes did she understand what an atrocity the Demon had committed by using the images of her comrades against her. In a voice barely above a whisper, Homura said, "This isn't the first time I've killed my friends."

And in that moment, Kagami was more afraid of her than she had ever been. She reached for the other girl's hand, desperate to bring back the Homura that she knew, the one she loved, not this terrible killer wearing her face.

That was when the three bodies began to laugh, all three of them in a skin-crawling chorus as they picked themselves out of the soil, wearing identical face-splitting grins, their eyes wide with madness…

"Kagami," said Homura quietly, ejecting a spent casing from her pistol and placing it back inside her shield, "you need to leave. Now."

"Like _hell!_"

"Please, Tsukasa needs you, and I don't want you to see this." Her head bowed slightly as her ebony bow appeared in her hand and straightened itself into a staff. "Go, I'll open a portal for you."

The end of the staff lashed out and tore a seam in the air. Through that seam Kagami could see streetlights and the faint glow of fireworks in the night sky… Desperately she took Homura's hand and pulled her back toward it. "Come with me, you don't have to do this alone! We can both come back later and take them out together!"

A faint, sad smile flickered across Homura's face. "I'm sorry."

"What's that supposed to me-" A hard impact from Homura's elbow hit her in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Gasping, she tumbled backward, head over heels, right through the seam…

_No!_

… and landed in a heap in the street back in the real world, the bank of fog sealing itself shut after her.

Her eyes streaming, she reached frantically back into the cloud and felt nothing but vapor on her skin. She was alone, cut off from Homura and the phantoms of her past. All alone…

_It's pointless,_ hissed the dark, cold presence inside her. _There's no way you can do this by yourself, without _her_ to protect you._

No, she thought to herself, that wasn't true. She still had her own power, her own chance to save Tsukasa. It wasn't over yet. Homura's sacrifice had given her that chance, there was still time. Pulling herself to her feet, Kagami told the darkness inside to go stuff itself and left the Lair behind, running in the direction of the nearest bus station. Her watch ticked on.

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

"Mi… Miyuki…?" Tsukasa reached for the pink shape in front of her, so near yet impossibly distant. Her eyes were so clouded with tears that she could barely see, but if only she could touch her again, everything would be all right... "Tell me, please… tell me you love me…"

Miyuki stayed silent.

"No," murmured Tsukasa. "No, no, no…" It couldn't end like this, it couldn't…

A tremor shook the city at the moment Tsukasa's heart broke. A great pillar of darkness surrounded her, she felt as if she would split in two, there was nothing left…

And then a burning sensation crept up her legs, over her waist and arms and up her chest, and where it touched her she felt nothing, nothing at all. Sparkling crystals grew over her flesh, covering her body in a sheet of ice, and just before it closed over her eyes, she saw the outline of the _thing_ that now stood behind Miyuki, a tall, pale-skinned figure in white robes with a skull that flickered in and out of shape in a rainbow of colors…

* * *

><p>The Ninth stepped forward and placed its thin hand on the frozen tomb that contained the focal point. <em>You have done well, <em>it projected at the Second.

"Thank you," the Second replied, speaking in the human language. "I suggest you leave now, before-"

A crescent-shaped wave of invisible force separated the Ninth's hand from its wrist. It melted into ice crystals as it fell; the Ninth regarded it curiously.

Into the halo of a streetlamp stepped Kagami Hiiragi, her eyes blazing with stars, the edge of her _bokken_ aglow with light and heat, the shadows of the great black feathered wings upon her back. "Get the hell away from my sister, _now._"

"Oh my," said the Second in a cruelly accurate imitation of Miyuki, putting a hand to her face. "Hiiragi-san, whatever is the matter?"

"Drop the act," Kagami snarled, raising her sword for another strike. "Let… Tsukasa… _go_. You've got three seconds."

"But you don't understand, Kagami-chan." The Second adjusted Miyuki's glasses. "Tsukasa-chan's too important for what's to come…"

"No, you don't understand. The only thing that's to come is me slicing you both to ribbons. I said _let her go._"

_The focal point intends to harm us, _projected the Ninth as it regenerated its lost hand. _You know what must be done._

The Second sighed and lazily touched the lens of her glasses with one hand, and with the other reached for Tsukasa's prison-

Another crescent wave from Kagami's sword carved a diagonal gash in her body from shoulder to hip, and an eruption of orange blood splattered the sidewalk. It was just a fraction of a second too late; the tomb, the Ninth, and Tsukasa shrank down to tiny size and vanished into the lens-

Kagami screamed Tsukasa's name, and another tremor shook Takanomiya…

* * *

><p><strong>The Eighth's Lair<strong>

_Kagami._

She felt the tremor rumble through the Lair as she crashed face-first into the ditch. Bleeding from a dozen places, her arms bound to her sides by Mami's ribbons, Homura struggled to right herself, only to have the cold muzzle of a musket press against the back of her skull and force her back down.

"We won't let you save her, Akemi-san," Mami said calmly, her finger on the trigger. "You have too much to answer for."

Kyoko knelt by her side and pressed the point of her spear into her neck. "Damn right. You think we're just gonna let you go, after you destroyed our world? After you killed us?"

_Don't listen to them,_ Homura thought. _They're not real. Think of Kagami…_

Sayaka's sole pressed hard into her spine, and a sword plunged into her back between two ribs.

_You've faced worse than this before. You have to get up. You have to go to Kagami…_

Again and again it struck. A pool of blood spread out from underneath her, staining the grey soil.

"I lost my mind because of you," said Mami. There was none of her usual warmth in her voice… "It's all your fault."

"And I lost the person I loved," Kyoko growled. "All your fault."

"And me…" Sayaka laughed as she brought the sword down yet again. "I lost my life, my sanity, Hitomi and Kyosuke… Really, this isn't revenge…"

"_It's justice,_" the three said together, moving their weapons to her Soul Gem.

For a moment, Homura almost believed it. For a moment, she wanted nothing more than to accept their judgment. Hadn't she thought those very things before in her darkest moments? Part of her wanted to just let it end…

Then Kagami's face shimmered before her eyes, screaming for her sister.

She had to win. For Kagami.

Homura's wings erupted from her back. Dark matter wrapped around Sayaka, who gave a terrible scream as the wings' powerful energies corroded her body away… in seconds only ashes were left.

"Liars," said Homura, hauling herself to her feet. Kyoko's spear and the butt of Mami's musket crashed against her shield. "I know what you are, nothing but Spawn drawn from my memories. You're not real..."

"Real enough," Kyoko smirked, her spear bursting into segments that danced around her like the coils of a snake. "Come on, Mami, let's show this murderer what-"

"No," said Homura as the spear's head slipped under her raised arm and bit into her stomach. Gritting her teeth, she wrenched the bloodstained blade out, turned it around, and thrust hard upward_…_ Kyoko gagged, her crimson eyes going wide as she clawed at the spear head lodged in her throat... One wing swatted her aside like a troublesome gnat as Homura turned to face Mami.

"Can you really do it?" said the blonde girl, backing up and raising her musket to eye level. "Can you really kill me in cold blood?"

"I'll do whatever I have to," said Homura, summoning her bow once again and notching a flaming violet arrow. "If it's to save her..."

Mami smirked. Her musket grew enormous, to the size of a cannon. "Then you're already lost."

"I've been lost for a long time, Mami-san." Likewise, Homura's arrow doubled, then tripled in size as her wings spread to their full span.

The two met each other's eyes…

"_Tiro Finale!"_

_ "Requiem Violetta."_

Energies clashed in midair, a golden comet twisting and crackling against violet fire, straining back and forth until at last, the arrow's point pierced a hole through. Homura was blown backward by the comet's impact… but the arrow, undiminished, hurtled forth straight down the barrel of Mami's cannon… She had time for a brief expression of shock and horror before her weapon exploded with a titanic roar, consuming her body in flame.

Homura lay on her back in the barren soil, bloody and burned, watching as bits of fiery shrapnel rained down. In a few moments, her healing magic would begin to seal her wounds, but she didn't have time to wait for it… Forcing herself to her feet, she staggered past the burning corpse without looking and made her way toward the center of the Lair.

By the third ditch, she felt the effects of the evening weighing her down, as if someone had placed lead weights upon her back. It wasn't simply overuse of magic, it was sheer mental and physical exhaustion… Soon her feet were dragging with each step, her vision blurring until she could barely distinguish ground from sky. Homura stumbled and fell to her hands and knees… _Kagami. Think of Kagami… _She groped blindly in the space behind her shield, and was momentarily surprised at how few Curse Seeds she felt there. One… two… three. That was all. She curled her fingers around one of them and drew it out of pocketspace. Touching it to her Soul Gem gave her a boost of energy, but by the fifth ditch her pace slowed again.

Down, and down, and down… each one was deeper than the last. She counted seven, eight, nine… one more left, and she would reach the Demon. Then it would be over.

She had to win, for Kagami.

The last ditch was more like a valley, three meters deep. She didn't climb so much as slide down the embankment into it. Black roots crisscrossed its depths, threatening to entangle her ankles. Moving carefully, she threaded her way between them… she could see the trunk of the tree from down here, perhaps she could fire an arrow from this angle and hurt it somehow…

Once more, the ground shook under her feet. Once more, a tall black root erupted before her, the figure inside already struggling to be released. The bark split open…

Homura knew who it would be. She suspected as much from the moment that Sayaka emerged. These Spawn were drawn from her own memories, after all... she knew that now. And there was only one more person that the Demon could use against her, one last friend that she had to kill. Even so, even though she knew who it would be, Homura's eyes filled with tears as she once more beheld the face that she longed to see, the face that appeared so often in her dreams and nightmares…

She climbed out of the root, the rose branch bow leaping to her hand. With a smile, Madoka Kaname opened her eyes and said, "It's all your fault, Homura-chan."

Homura gripped her own bow tight. "I know."

The two of them ran toward each other, their weapons clashed, throwing off sparks of light…

* * *

><p><strong>Nearby<strong>

The Second began to laugh. Though her wound was still gushing blood, she laughed at the girl beating the ground helplessly with her fists, driven to her knees by despair. Her wings had disappeared, the stars in her eyes had faded out. Whatever strange powers had allowed her to escape Giustino and enhance her sword, they were gone now. She was lost. Already the darkness was building around her. Any moment now…

"She was happy, you know that, don't you?" she said as she staggered forward, holding herself together until her healing took effect. "Happier with me than she was with you."

"Shut up," whispered Kagami, staring down at the pavement. She had failed. Tsukasa was gone…

"Why do you think we spent so much time together? I gave her things you never could. I listened. I was patient. I didn't criticize."

"Shut up."

"It wasn't _all_ my Brand," cooed the Second, "though that was helpful from the start. Poor little Tsukasa needed someone like me, someone who would love her unconditionally."

"I said _shut up!_" Kagami leapt to her feet, her eyes brimming with hateful tears and flickering with white-hot light as she snatched up her _bokken_. It trembled in her hands.

"Admit it, Kagami-chan, you failed her. You-"

Kagami lunged and shoved the _bokken_ through the Second's stomach. "I…" hissed Kagami, livid with rage, "… will make you pay. For everything you've done to me and my friends, I'll make you pay…"

"Heh." Blood oozed from the corner of the Second's mouth as she chuckled. "Brave words, Kagami-chan. I had hoped… to save this… until I had you at my mercy… ah, well…"

The sword blade spat back out, and Miyuki's body began to swell. Glistening slug-like appendages burst from her skin, red and slick with moisture, entwining around themselves, swallowing up her face and glasses. Kagami recoiled in horror and disgust…

The thing that was emerging was of a vaguely feline shape, balancing on hind legs bent backward, a long, extended neck looming over her. Its entire body was made of those slug-like things, woven together like the fibers of a rope… _tongues_, she realized. It was made of tongues… and in between the tongues, there were eyes, eyes of every shape, size and color, human and animal, nestled in its arms, its hands, its chest, its mouth, everywhere except its face… The countless eyes stared at her, a mouth opened, and it laughed with a voice like a high keening wind…

Miasma billowed around them in great clouds, and the bus stop disappeared… in its place was the Lair Kagami had seen before, an intricate cage of mirrors held together by golden chains, where the Second's hideous true form leered out from every surface, laughing at her…

"_Come,"_ said the Demon, her words echoing from each of the countless mirrors, _"let us finish this. Come into my embrace, little human…"_

**END OF CHAPTER 24**


	25. Chapter 25: When I Was Lost

**CHAPTER 25: When I Was Lost**

**The Eighth's Lair**

**July 7****th****, 2007**

Volleys of pink and violet fire crisscrossed the ditch as it flickered through various settings like fragments of dreams. The only constants were the ditch's depth, the starless sky overhead, and the enormous black scaled roots that erupted from the below like javelins at irregular intervals. Everything else was prone to shift at a moment's notice; already Homura had seen the Lair change around her from a broken and shattered city block, to a fiery wasteland, to a rocky landscape dotted with pits of foul-smelling filth. The changes were disorienting her, but Madoka… the false Madoka, she reminded herself again… paid them no mind. She… _it…_ attacked relentlessly no matter what the setting, slinging arrows the moment it caught sight of Homura. And when it wasn't in sight, whenever Homura ducked behind one of the roots to catch her breath, the false Madoka would speak to her…

"Why didn't you let me die, Homura-chan?" The Spawn sounded hurt and confused.

Homura's chest grew tight, and another spasm of guilt rocked her exhausted body. She pressed herself up against the root's scaly bark, waiting for the next chance to strike. Around her, the Lair shifted yet again; now it was a stagnant swamp filled with dank pitch that rose up to her ankles.

"You could have avoided all of this." Its voice drew closer… soon Homura would need to either fire back or find a new hiding place.

_It's not her_, she told herself yet again. _It's not her. Don't listen._

"All the suffering, all the sadness. If you had just let me go, it wouldn't have happened."

_Don't listen to her. Don't listen…_

Homura felt the root shudder as a pink arrow struck it. She leaned to one side, notched three arrows to her bow, and fired, praying… _Please…_

The false Madoka didn't even blink. It raised its rose branch bow to intercept the arrows, which dissipated into harmless particles of light. Without hesitation it returned fire; Homura fled to the next root as fast as she could, the sticky pitch hampering her movement and threatening to pull her down into its depths. One stray shot pierced her ankle as she wrenched it free of the mire. Cringing, she limped behind the root, then leaned down and yanked the arrow out, her skin blistering and sizzling from the magical flames as she touched it. She braced herself against the trunk and directed a healing spell at her foot, its cooling power mending the burnt and torn flesh. Her hand needed less magic to fix itself, so it could wait…

"You still have a chance, Homura-chan," said the false Madoka with a calm smile. "Please, let me shoot you. Let it end. No more fighting, no more pain. Please come out, come out and die…"

Homura trembled, pushed back tears, and awaited the next attack.

* * *

><p><strong>The Second's Lair<strong>

Kagami couldn't stop. Once again, she was lost deep within the Lait's maze of mirrors, but this time her role and the Second's were reversed. No longer content with hiding and taunting from inside the glass, this time the Demon was on the hunt.

Gasping from exertion, encumbered by her heavy miko robes, her legs screaming at her to take a rest, she stumbled around the next corner, sweating cold bullets. Moments ago, she made the mistake of leaning against a mirror to catch her breath. That only lasted a second, until her reflection's arms emerged from the glass and grasped her shoulders, trying to drag her inside. She smashed that mirror into dust, but there were so many more, the Lair was nothing _but_ mirrors, and any one of them could be deadly…

The small, rational part of her mind that hadn't shut down from terror or anger knew what the Second was doing: waiting for her to tire herself out before closing in for the kill. With no way of knowing which mirrors if any were safe, her only choice was to keep running, shattering glass whenever she saw a flicker of movement, just to be safe. But each pane shattered was one less place she could stop and rest… if she didn't catch her breath soon, she'd collapse on the floor and be helpless…

Helpless. Just like Homura before. Just like her poor sister and Miyuki were now. Who knew if any of them were still alive? _No_, she thought desperately, _Tsukasa's still okay, she's got to be. Homura said the multiverse would destabilize if she were-_

_"Come out, come out, wherever you are…"_ said the Demon's windy voice in sing-song. It was impossible to tell from which direction it was coming from.

Kagami froze.

_"Aren't you tired, Kagami-chan? Don't you want to lie down for a while?"_

Yes, God yes, she did, but she couldn't stop…

_"Come here. Come into my embrace. I'll take on a nice form for you, and you can drift off to sleep in my arms. I can even look like Homura-chan for you if you want. We can have such fun together…"_ Her words devolved into a sinister laugh.

Kagami's stomach heaved, and her skin felt like it would crawl off her body and hide in a corner somewhere. But she couldn't stop, not now. She prepared herself to run again, when-

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw one of the mirrors ripple. Real, or an illusion? She stayed still, keeping her eyes forward. Perhaps she could fool the Demon into thinking she hadn't noticed. The timing would have to be perfect for her to… do what? Her breaths came quick and hard. If she was going to do something, she would have to do it soon.

The arm came rocketing out of a mirror ten meters away, stretching to an impossible length, its glistening red tongue-fingers sprouting long black claws in its flight. Kagami felt a rush of air, an intense stinging pain in her cheek as it passed her shoulder, mere centimeters from her neck. Even glancing, the blow was stunningly hard, enough to spin her around… but she saw an opening, a possible weak spot…

_"KOTE!"_ Flecks of her blood spattered the mirror that was the Lair's floor as she raised her _bokken_ and let it fall on the arm. The blade hit a brown eye nestled between the tongues, which ruptured in a shower of moisture and orange Demon blood. The Second screamed long and high, a sound at the same ear-splitting pitch as a boiling tea kettle, as her wounded arm snapped backward like a rubber band-

"No you don't!" Summoning all the energy she had left, Kagami followed the arm to the mirror that it had sprouted out of, lifting her blade high. Fractures spiderwebbed across the glass as she hit it once, twice. It collapsed into sand, leaving only an empty frame.

"Dammit, where are you?!" she shouted in frustration. Tired, she was so tired… if only she could do whatever it was she did last time, break all the damn mirrors at once, but the power wasn't in her now. It was all she could do just to keep moving. She couldn't stop, because if she did, if she took the time to think about what had happened…

_"Mmm, I can smell your despair,"_ murmured the Second's voice. _"You're close, so very close. Just a little more… Mother will awaken, and the stars above will fall..."_

Kagami shook her head violently. "I won't let that happen!"

_"Why do you fight so hard? Why not just give into it? Tsukasa-chan did… and so did Homura-chan…"_

Hatred churned in her stomach, black and poisonous. "For what you've done to them… I'll never forgive you, ever!"

_"Yes, yes, that's it! Hate me more… more, so I can feed…"_

That awful burning, freezing sensation coursed through her veins, and the ticking of her watch slowed to a crawl. Kagami squeezed her eyes shut and poured her focus into pushing it back down. _Not now, please, not now! Stay in control, you have to get through this… _But it was so tempting to just let go, to make the Second pay, make her sorry she was ever spawned…

Something inside her gave a hard downward lurch. The voice of the dark, cold presence within was no longer soft and whispering; it thundered in her skull, harsh and refusing to be ignored. Trying to suppress it was like trying to keep a beach ball underwater… the harder she pushed, the more it wanted to come back _up_… It laughed at her attempts to subdue it, thundered its demand at her: _LET ME OUT._

_"No!"_ Kagami dropped her sword and clutched at her temples like her head was going to burst. She stumbled and landed on all fours on the glass, her pale, sweaty face and tired eyes staring back at her as she fought to breathe…

Underneath her, her reflection changed. It giggled.

And before she could register the danger, the Second seized her chance and erupted from below, seizing her arms and legs in a horrible wet grip with its own. The Demon rolled to one side with her, then slammed her down into the floor so hard that the Lair shook and fine cracks spread out from the point of impact. In a daze of pain, Kagami could offer no resistance as the Demon settled atop her, a lioness having pinned her helpless prey.

The Second leaned forward, her many mismatched, misplaced eyes swiveling down to stare at Kagami. Her neck extended grotesquely, bringing them even closer together. One of the tongues that formed her face flicked out and licked blood from the wound on Kagami's cheek. In a voice that quivered with sick glee, she said simply, _"Let's play…"_

* * *

><p><strong>The Eighth's Lair<strong>

"Homura-chan?" The false Madoka peered around the edge of a trunk, as if playing a game of hide-and-seek. "It's okay now, you can stop running. Where are you?"

Plastered against a root several meters away, Homura's heart pounded like a drum as she waited. _A little closer. Just come a little closer._

"You don't have to be afraid," said the false Madoka, drawing an arrow. "I'll make it quick, and it won't hurt. Just one shot. That's how you want it to end, right? You don't want to die like Mami-san did that one time…"

Blood. Teeth. The gruesome, half-eaten remnants falling from the Witch's worm-like body as it exploded. A death that Homura had been helpless to stop many times over, a death that still haunted her nightmares. Bile rose in her throat; she closed her eyes and tried to push the memories away.

"You remember, don't you? She begged you to stop, and you just kept shooting her, over and over. You made her suffer before you killed her. Why did you do that, Homura-chan?"

Homura's focus slipped. What was the Spawn talking about?

"Sayaka-chan lost her mind when she found out what you did. I had to shoot her to keep her from killing you…"

Her fingers dug into the bark. That didn't make any sense, that never happened in any of the timelines…

"… and then… and then Kyoko-chan turned into a Witch…" The false Madoka faltered. "… and poor Mami-san had to sacrifice herself to save us…"

Homura's skin erupted in goosebumps. The nonsense the Spawn was speaking was somehow more disturbing than anything else she… _it_… had done. But _why?_

"It's your fault," There was a noticeable trembling in its voice now. "It's your f-fault that Hitomi-chan made… made a contract with Kyubey to save Saotome-_sensei_... Your fault. Hi-Hitomi-chan and K-Kamijou-kun became Demons, and it's your fault. S-Sayaka-chan k-killed herself and I sh-shot Kyoko-chan… your fault. I d-died… and it's _your fault…_"

And then, she understood. The Demon had pieced together the false Madoka out of Homura's own memories… out of each timeline's conflicting versions of _her_. Whatever semblance of a mind the Spawn had, it couldn't take the contradictions. Too many memories overlapping, too many impossible things remembered… now it was breaking down. An odd, wistful sense of pity mingled with Homura's fear and hatred for this thing wearing _her_ shape… it was that pity that made her stand up then and come out from behind the root. If it would only listen to her, perhaps it would understand…

The reaction from the Spawn was immediate. At the sight of Homura it let out a terrible shriek, "_Your fault!_" Tears streamed down its cheeks, its face twisted in torment. It notched six new arrows, drew back its arm, and fired.

Homura only felt the first one bury itself in her shoulder, the searing blaze of magical fire scouring her down to the bone. The rest of the arrows peppered her chest and stomach, and blood soaked through her battle costume, but by then she was numb to it. _Foolish,_ she thought to herself as she slowly toppled backwards, the arrows dissolving into pink light. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she caught sight of the false Madoka charging forward through the swamp of pitch, enraged by the sight of its prey, its foot falling into one nondescript little puddle in the mire…

The puddle where Homura had buried the land mines.

The metallic _click_ was lost in the din of the Spawn's battle cry. It never even noticed. Before its next footfall, the first mine detonated. Gouts of flame and shrapnel burst forth from the bog as the first explosion triggered the other mines, consuming the false Madoka in a hellstorm of fire. It was lifted off its feet by the shockwave, its burning body flung forward as its clothes and skin were shredded-

Homura saw her chance and took it. She spread her arms wide as she fell, and caught the Spawn in its flight. The inertia nearly tore her arms from her sockets, the flames licked at her, but she held on, clutching the false Madoka close as the rest of the bog went up in a blaze. Homura attempted to roll them both over, take the brunt of the fire herself, but the false Madoka was still moving, still trying to fight-

Pitch suffocated the flames as the two hit the surface with a splash. The vile black stuff clung to their hair, clothes, and skin, seeped into their wounds and stung painfully. They lay there as drops of flaming resin and pieces of roots rained down from above.

Homura's mind flashed back to another time, another place, lying half-submerged just like this in a pool of stagnant rainwater. Surrounded by ruin, the sky above tinted gray and dull yellow by great billowing clouds of dust… _That's right_, she thought dimly. _It's almost like that time… with _her.

The false Madoka's charred black hands closing around her neck dispelled the memory.

_"You_," it whispered, blood bubbling at its lips. Half of its face was gone, blasted away by the explosions, but the other half still looked like _her_… Its fingers began to squeeze as it sputtered. "Homu. Ra. Ho. Homura. Ho…"

"No," said Homura. "No." Easily she pried the weak, ruined hands from her throat and held them tight in her own. "That's enough."

"Ra. Ho. Mu. Ra. Mu. Ra. Ho. Ho. Mu…" it said, warping and distorting her name.

"You don't have to fight anymore," said Homura. "Just sleep. Please, just go to sleep."

Did it even hear her? Was its fractured mind even able to comprehend what she was telling it? "Mu… ra. Ho…" Weakly it tried to lift itself out of the pitch, its body shuddering with the effort.

"No," said Homura again, more firmly this time. "Stay down."

A tear from the false Madoka's one remaining eye rolled down its undamaged cheek. "Ho… mu… ra…"

"I know." With the little strength she had left, Homura pulled herself upright. Sitting up sent ripples of pain spreading through her torso even through the numbing effect of her magic, but she didn't care. She needed the pain, if only to stay awake for these few moments. "I know." She flexed her hands, summoning her bow and a single arrow. Homura felt her own tears welling up as she gripped the end of the shaft and pulled back, aiming the point directly between the Spawn's eyes…

For the briefest instant, she swore she saw the false Madoka smile. "… h-ho… muh-mu… ruh… ruh…"

"Goodbye, Madoka," said Homura. "I love you."

She let the arrow fly.

When it was done, when the last spark of life faded from the Spawn's eye, she bent over its body and wept. And when she could cry no more, she stood up, watching the swamp resolve itself back into the dismal gray ditch it had been before, keeping her eyes firmly on the tree-like shape above that was the Demon, and not the pathetic, broken body lying at her feet.

Homura staggered forward, resolving to make this one pay dearly.

* * *

><p><strong>The Second's Lair<strong>

_"Do you know why it's such fun to make you suffer?"_ asked the Second as many of her tongues encircled Kagami's face. _"It's because you're so _passionate._ No matter what you feel… joy, sorrow, anger, pain… you feel it so strongly that it's irresistible. Your passion makes feeding on your Heart so satisfying… so filling…"_

"_Ugh…_" Kagami shivered with revulsion, keeping her eyes shut tight and trying to turn away from the slimy things caressing her skin. It was no use, they were everywhere…

"_You don't like looking at my true form, do you?_"said the Demon, gently tilting Kagami's head upward, bringing her a bit closer. "_Admit it. Lust is a hideous thing, isn't it? That's my sin: the ugliness that lies underneath all love._"

"You're wrong," hissed Kagami. "Love isn't-"

"_Oh, it_ is. _It's true and you know it: love doesn't exist without lust. Deny it all you want, but it's always there, lurking, waiting. It's a primal thing, a force that never truly goes away. As pure as you think your feelings are… this is what they all look like deep down._"

Kagami cracked one eye open, daring to look into the Demon's writhing mass of a face, if only to prove her wrong. "You've got some really sick ideas about love… n-no wonder you've got to disguise yourself to get a date…"

"_So brave,_" the Second chuckled. "_Do you even know what I'm going to do to you?_"

_Oh God. Stay calm, stay calm! It's passion she wants, so don't feel anything!_ What she wouldn't give to have Homura's "pain switch" right now…

The Demon's voice was tinged with a lascivious purr. "_I'm going to rape you._"

Kagami risked one more choice insult. "How original."

"_I'm going to take you in every way, over and over, until you're broken but _just_ coherent enough to know what's happening to you._" The purr grew deeper, bolder. _"And then, I'll trap you in one of my mirrors, so you can watch what I do next. I'll take on your form and go back to Homura-chan…_"

"You _bitch…_" Her muscles strained fruitlessly against the Second's weight pinning her down.

"_… and I'll give her what she wants most in the world: a night of ecstacy with you. I'll pleasure her in ways you can't _dream_ of, and right as she comes for the last time, I'll shatter her Soul Gem. She'll die thinking you've betrayed her… and you'll be watching._"

"You…!" There were no words vile enough to express Kagami's hatred. All thoughts of staying calm vanished as she struggled madly, wanting nothing less than this creature's agonizing death… Burning coldness filled her veins…

"_Yes, that's it!_" The Second moaned obscenely. "_Those are the kinds of feelings that will release Mother… but please, don't let her out yet. I still haven't had my fun with you…_"

It took every ounce of willpower Kagami had, but she somehow managed to press the anger back down. She took several deep, heavy breaths… and then immediately stopped, her skin crawling as the tongues came back, aiming for her open mouth. Biting back a scream, she clenched her jaw and pressed her lips tightly shut.

_"Now now,_" sighed the Second. Her tongues slithered over Kagami's lips, painting them wet with moisture, trying to pry them open. _"You know you can't resist. Open your mouth."_

A crazy, wild idea struck her. If it didn't work, she was done for, but if it did…! Just slightly, she opened up, gagged as she felt something thick and soft and wet begin to slip inside… and then she bit down as hard as she could. Coppery, metallic blood spilled everywhere. The Second reared backward, clutching her face and letting out that ear-splitting tea kettle scream again…

Seizing the opening, Kagami shoved against the Demon with all her weight. Touching it was disgusting beyond belief, but it worked; the Second was too distracted by her injury to fight back. Scrambling to her feet and retrieving her _bokken_ from where it lay, Kagami angrily spit out the piece of torn, bloody flesh, and wiped her lips on the shoulder of her robes.

Cringing and bleeding freely from part of her face, all of the Second's eyes blazed with anger as the two enemies slowly circled each other. "_Enjoy that while you can_," she hissed venomously, "_You know you can't win against me, against _us_. We're part of you, Kagami-chan. We're a corruption of everything you are. Even if you kill this body, it won't matter…_"

"Fuck that, I don't care," Kagami growled, gripping the hilt tight. "I'm tired. I'm tired of Demons and Mother and magic and my friends and family getting hurt because of _you_… This fucking ends, right now!"

And blade met claw, the two trading furious blows. There was no technique, no strategy, only the desire for one to kill the other. Kagami felt her blood burn hot with the assault. As she parried and blocked strikes that should have broken her sword in two, she began to feel something else: the sense that she could not only survive, but _win_ this fight. For all the Second's power, for all the damage she could inflict with a successful attack, her actual fighting skills were surprisingly poor. It made a kind of sense; her true strengths were in trickery, mind games, and deception, not in open combat. Slowly, Kagami began to press the Second back, bursting eye after eye, taking a savage joy in inflicting as much pain as possible. The dark, cold presence inside was stirring, her watch had stopped entirely, but she didn't care…

The Second knew she was doomed. This was a side of Kagami she had never seen before: a grim warrior caught in a haze of bloodlust, unaware or uncaring of the dark aura growing around her. She fought back with all her strength, scoring deep cuts to the girl's arms and shoulders, but couldn't even land a disarming blow, much less a fatal one. She heard Kagami laugh coldly as the _bokken_ sliced impossibly through one claw… the wound sizzled white-hot as she screamed. There, there was an opening, right there, small but noticeable. Her remaining claws raked the girl's side. She paid for that attack dearly when the blade's edge cleaved through her arm. Succumbing to panic, she lost her footing, stumbled…

The shockwave that surged from Kagami's _bokken _did the impossible once again. It didn't simply cut deep into the Second's body, it shattered every mirror in the Lair, killing her Spawn. It forced her back into her first stage, flinging her backward as easily as a scrap of paper in the wind. The Lair melted into fog as she slammed hard into asphalt… they were back in the human world, in the street outside the bus station. The Second turned herself over to face her enemy…

What she saw was not the teenaged human girl in bloodstained miko robes. What she saw was the supreme blackness that surrounded her, an aura that oozed like ink and festered like an open wound… the sight filled her with twisted joy. The plan had worked, and Mother was coming. Just a little more. _I did it. I did it, do you see…?_

Kagami watched dispassionately as the pale robed figure shrank back into Miyuki's shape. It didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered except the Second's death. Nothing mattered.

The Second smiled and rested her head against the curb. "Hello, Mother."

"_Shut up,_" snarled Kagami, taking a step forward. Just a little more. Nothing else mattered.

"You know… what must truly anger you, Kagami-chan?" She giggled. "About Tsukasa… I think… I think I loved her more than you ever did."

"_I said shut up!_" Blind rage seared her insides, like her body was filled with molten rock, a volcano ready to explode. She brought her sword down in an arc…

The blade's fall severed one of the Second's legs, but she ignored the pain. Pain was nothing; she had won, she had done it. "You never knew," she said, grinning and defiant to the last. "You don't even suspe-"

Kagami struck, and the Second's head burst apart in a grisly spray of gore. The lenses of Miyuki's glasses shattered.

She struck again, for Homura.

She struck again, for Tsukasa.

She struck again, for Konata.

She struck again, for Miyuki.

She struck again, for the Puellae Magi.

She struck again, for everyone the Second had ever hurt or deceived.

She struck again, and again, and again, until the street ran wet with blood, until her sword broke through and crashed against the pavement the Demon lay on, until there was nothing left of the body but a bad memory, and again and again she struck…

* * *

><p><strong>The Eighth's Lair<strong>

She had done it. It took one of her last two Curse Seeds, but she had climbed out of the ditch… and now she stood in front of the Demon.

It wasn't a tree, as it appeared to be from a distance. It was the head and neck of an enormous black snake that rose from the dead soil, its mouth frozen open and baring its glittering golden fangs to the starless sky. Bones sprouted at jarring angles from its neck, and from them like berries from branches hung its eyes, golden like the fangs, pupils black and slitted and pitiless. The eyes turned slowly to stare at her, and with a warm, deep, honeyed voice, it spoke to her.

"_Welcome,_" said the Eighth. Its mouth didn't move. "_You impress me to have made it this far, Puella Magi._"

Homura didn't answer it. This thing didn't deserve any words after what it had done, what it had forced her to do. Calmly she drew a rocket launcher from the pocketspace in her shield, and loaded the ammo into the barrel.

"_You are here to kill me?_" The Demon chuckled. "_Have you not more pressing concerns?_"

Again, Homura didn't answer. She knelt and rested the barrel of the weapon against her shoulder, lining up the Demon's head in her sights.

Then she felt the tremor, far worse than last time. Homura looked back over her shoulder, back the way she had come. "Kagami…"

"_That's right,_" said the Eighth smoothly. "_The focal point seems to have defeated my sister, but the poor thing can't hold on much longer… there's not much time._"

Homura turned back to her weapon. One shot. One shot could kill this thing… couldn't it? It had to work, it had to. She didn't have enough magic left to kill it with arrows…

Another tremor shook the Lair.

"_It appears you have a choice to make,_" said the Eighth. "_Kill me, or save her. Which will it be?_"

Homura's fingertip hovered over the launch button.

"_Go on, then, if you can. I welcome it. Let me be among my siblings once more. My death will deprive you of that which you desire most in the world._"

The launcher stayed steady, but Homura wavered… It would be easy, wouldn't it? At this range, against an immobile target that wasn't even trying to fight back, one rocket would be more than enough for the kill. Just one shot.

And if that one shot didn't work, what then?

Kagami was breaking. Mother was stirring. Homura had to choose…

She turned over her shield, and the world stopped… and almost as an afterthought, she pressed the button. The launcher shook and belched flame as it ejected its payload, which stopped frozen as it reached the limit of her magic field.

Praying she had made the right decision, Homura dropped the launcher and ran. Time resumed its course as she took a flying leap over the edge of the last ditch, running on pure adrenaline… the rocket detonated behind her no more than a second later. She didn't look back, she couldn't look back. Her wings sprouted, catching the draft from the explosion and hurling her forward to the edges of the Lair. As she vanished into the wall of fog that marked the barrier between the Lair and the real world, the Eighth's booming, rich laughter followed her. It was still alive. Of course it was.

* * *

><p><strong>Takanomiya<strong>

The metallic stench of blood permeated the air more than a block away from the bus station. Forcing her tired body to run faster, Homura turned over her shield again, the grayscale world passing by in a blur…

As she turned a corner, she nearly tripped over a body lying on the sidewalk. For an awful moment she thought it was Kagami… but no, it wasn't her, it appeared to be the real Miyuki Takara. The girl could be sleeping or she could be dead; with time frozen, it was impossible to tell. There was no time to check, no way of helping her without expending more magic. Homura stepped over her and continued running.

The scene of horrific violence that greeted her at the station when she stepped out of the time-stop was sickening to behold. At the center of an explosion of blood sat Kagami, huddled in a ball with her dripping _bokken_ lying abandoned at her side. She was drenched to the skin, surrounded by a cloud of deepest blackness, staring with glowing white eyes at a bloody smear on the asphalt with a Curse Seed in its center… all that was left of the Second.

"_Kagami!_" Homura rushed forward to embrace her... and the darkness pushed her back. _No. Not again. Not again._ "Kagami, get up!"

"She's gone," said Kagami listlessly, rocking gently back and forth on her heels. "She's gone, but I don't feel… anything…"

Furiously Homura pounded on the wall of black. It resisted her fists not like a solid thing, but as if it were alive. "It's over, Kagami, you won, she's dead! You've got to get up!"

"But Tsukasa's gone," said Kagami. Her voice was hollow, a sighing whisper like air slowly escaping from a deflating balloon. "I failed her. I failed… nothing matters."

"That's not true!" With all her might, Homura threw herself against the wall, managing to take a single step into it. "She's still alive, Kagami! We can still save her, but only if you _get back up!_"

There was no answer.

Icy fear flooded Homura's veins. She managed another step, clawing at the black as if swimming through it. "You can't leave me now, not like this! Not after all we've been through!"

Again, no answer.

_"KAGAMI!"_ The darkness thickened around her, threatening to smother her, but she pressed on. "Kagami, can you hear me? If you can hear me, listen! Please, listen!"

Kagami's head bowed, and her body sagged.

"Kagami, you remember, don't you?" cried Homura, reaching out her hand. "You remember when I… when I was…" She shivered as the memory she had buried flooded back to the surface: the fingers. The violation. "When I was lost… you reminded me of something I never should have forgotten… You pulled me back from the brink…" She was so close now… the darkness weighed heavy on her back, on her shoulders, forcing her down to her knees. Straining, she slowly raised her leaden arms and embraced Kagami from behind. "… but don't think…" she gasped, "… don't think I won't throw myself over it to save you! Kagami, please, get up! _Come back to me!_"

Silence. The world held its breath.

And then… the silence was broken by the slow ticking of an antique watch, as Kagami's bloodstained hand reached up to take Homura's and place it over her heart. "Don't," she whispered through tears. "Don't act like… like you don't have any worth… except for your feelings for me."

"Kagami, I…"

"Shh. Just… hold onto me."

Homura held on. It was a long time before either of them let go.

* * *

><p>A pair of round red eyes watched the two girls embrace each other. Sensing the presence of a Curse Seed, Kyubey had appeared, but he deigned to wait for them to finish before speaking. He assumed that one or both of them would turn violent should he interrupt.<p>

Only when Homura helped Kagami shakily to her feet did he speak. _Is it time?_

Kagami's eyes hardened as she stared at the Seed. "Do it."

Homura only nodded.

Satisfied, Kyubey hopped down from his perch on the fence and padded over to the Second's remains. With a flick of his paw he batted the Curse Seed into the air… it spun as it fell and neatly dropped into the mouth on his back.

Kagami and Homura said nothing. There were no words of triumph, no celebrating this victory… it had cost far too much. They walked slowly down the street with their arms around each other, away from the carnage, with Kyubey following closely behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

**An Hour Later**

Matsuri Hiiragi threw open the door the moment she heard the first knock. "Where in the _hell_ have you two-" Then she screamed, long and loud.

It was difficult to determine what exactly made her scream… if questioned, she might not even know herself. The sight of her younger sister and Homura Akemi standing on the doorstep, supporting a pale and unconscious Miyuki Takara between them was shocking enough. Then there was Kagami looking as if she had been through a particularly vicious butcher shop; her miko robes were filthy, torn in dozens of places and caked with dried blood from her many wounds. Her stained _bokken_ was shoved roughly into her belt, and her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and haunted with loss.

Or perhaps Matsuri was screaming at the perfectly visible cat-like creature she saw riding on Homura's shoulder, that addressed her with a polite telepathic _Greetings!_ as she made eye contact with it.

Kagami cringed. "Matsuri, please, for the love of God, quiet down…"

"Th-that thing…" Matsuri babbled. "It _talked_… and you… i-is that Miyuki?! What in God's name _happened?!_"

Kagami lowered her head. She heard the rapid footsteps of her parents and Inori approaching, but she couldn't face them now. "We'll tell you everything, I promise, but right now we need to get Miyuki to a hospital."

"B-But…" Matsuri could do little but protest as Homura gently pushed Miyuki into her arms.

"_Kagami!_" Miki Hiiragi was near hysteria as she pushed forward to take her daughter in her arms. The embrace only lasted for a moment before she pulled away and grasped Kagami's shoulders. "Where is she?! Where's Tsukasa? _Tell me!_"

Kagami shuddered and looked away. "She's gone."

**END OF CHAPTER 25**


	26. Chapter 26: It's Never a Bad Thing

**CHAPTER 26: It's Never a Bad Thing**

The first night without Tsukasa was the worst. Kagami spent that entire night staring at the cracks in her ceiling and listening to the ticking of her watch, numb to the world, exhausted but totally unable to sleep.

Her parents had thought she and Homura were crazy, of course. That much had been established during the long, uncomfortable drive behind the ambulance that bore Miyuki to the hospital. Kagami couldn't blame them; in hindsight, the night's events felt unreal even to her, like some bizarre, horrible dream. Only when Kyubey finally appeared and vouched for their story did her parents begin to accept the truth: that something well beyond their control was happening to their daughters. That truth terrified them, as well it should have. Magic, alternate realities, nightmarish creatures spawned from despair, death and tragedy, the destruction of not just one Earth but _all_ of them… when Homura and Kyubey finished, her mother and father fell into mutual silence. How could they respond? What could they possibly say?

Their time at the hospital was one long blur. Vaguely she remembered swarms of doctors descending on Miyuki, orders shouted from one to another over the frantic beeping of machinery, the awful sound of sweet, gentle Yukari Takara screaming to be allowed to see her daughter… It was well after one in the morning before they finally, finally were allowed to go back home.

They weren't inside the house for but a few minutes when Homura announced that she was going home. Kagami begged her to stay, told her that there was more than enough room this time, pleaded with her not to leave, not _tonight_ of all nights… but Homura simply shook her head and refused, and Kagami couldn't find the strength in herself to stop her. After Homura vanished into the darkness, leaving a terrible emptiness in her wake, Kagami turned and climbed the stairs as if each step weighed a ton… She staggered to her room, pointedly avoiding looking at the dark, empty room next to hers. Once inside, she locked the door behind her, stripped off her ruined, bloodstained miko robes, and fell onto her bed, too tired to cry, too tired to change into her pajamas, too tired to do anything, wanting nothing more than a peaceful, dreamless sleep…

That was seven hours ago.

Now, as the first rays of sunlight filtered through her windows, warm and golden, the only thing Kagami could think of was how unfair it was that this morning should be so bright and glorious. It wasn't fair; the weather should have been gray, gloomy and rainy, as if the earth were weeping in ways that she couldn't… because the room next to hers was empty. Because Tsukasa was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>

**Two Weeks Later**

It was only after a few visits that she remembered how much she hated hospitals. This one was hardly typical, of course: Miyuki had been moved to the facility from Tokyoidai after a few hours in their emergency room determined she was suffering no physical injuries… but Kagami hated this one just the same as the last. It didn't have those horrible off-green walls, or the sharp odors of medicine and antiseptics… in fact, the interior was painted in warm colors and filled with soft light, and smelled pleasant enough most of the time. The doctors, nurses, and therapists had enough courtesy to walk around in casual clothes underneath their white coats as they made their rounds to each patient... not a set of scrubs, latex glove, or surgical mask in sight. But as calming and peaceful as the place was supposed to be, as much as they tried to make it comfortable, the thought of being cooped up in here for days, weeks, or even months on end… The thought of that gave Kagami chills like ice water running down her back.

She would put up with the chills, though, because as hard as it was being here, as much as she'd rather be out searching with Homura, or at home trying to comfort her family, or hell, just about anywhere else, she had to acknowledge that was the lucky one. _She_ didn't have to stay here, trying to piece her life back together after losing the last four months...

Kagami hurt for Miyuki whenever she visited. She hurt so deeply that it eclipsed all the other hurt in her life, that at times she thought that the guilt would devour her from within. If only they had noticed the impostor sooner. If only they had picked up the warning signs. If only…

Miyuki was understandably unwilling to talk about it. They still didn't know the extent to which she was conscious or aware of what was happening during her imprisonment. On some days when they visited, she simply stared out the window the whole time, replying to questions in dull tones and not saying much of anything. On others, they were turned away before they could even see her, the staff repeating the same sorts of phrases over and over: "Miyuki is resting at the moment." "We're sorry, Miyuki is having a bad day." "Miyuki isn't seeing anyone right now." Hopefully, today's visit would be one of the better days; if she got turned away again…

Kagami turned a corner and saw a familiar sheet of blue hair. Konata sat on a bench in the next hall, a bouquet of hydrangeas at her side. Her thumbs jabbed away at a PSP while she waited to be let in. "Hey, Kagamin," she said without looking up as Kagami came near.

"_Ossu._" Kagami allowed herself to smile faintly. "Can you scoot over a bit?"

"Sure." Konata hit the Pause button and slid down, taking her flowers with her.

"Thanks," said Kagami as she sat down. "Whatcha playing?"

"Monster Hunter Portable," Konata said as she dove back into her game.

"I didn't even know you had a PSP."

"It's new. I bought one a few days ago with what's left of my pay from work."

Kagami winced. There was yet another thing the Demons had ruined. "I'm sorry…"

"S'okay. I wanted one anyway."

There was an awkward silence between the two friends. An intercom buzzed and asked for a "Dr. Iwao" to report to the second floor.

"Where's Akemi-san today?" asked Konata after a while.

"Out hunting again." Kagami clutched at her skirt. "She said she wants to store up Curse Seeds for when… for when we go after them."

"Ah."

Another silence. Kagami hated this… she hated it so much, how even her conversations with her best friend suffered because of what had happened… with Tsukasa gone and Miyuki traumatized, how much more stress could the friendship between the four of them take? Even before all this started, Kagami had often felt like an outsider… like an ice floe split off from a glacier. She was the one in a different class, the one shouldered with being "normal", the first one to keep Homura's secrets. And now… now she felt the floe inexorably drifting away on the sea, taking her further and further from her precious friends… drifting away…

"Hey," said Konata, as if she could tell what Kagami was thinking. "It'll be okay."

Kagami's eyes began to sting. "H-how can you say that? Even if we _do_ get Tsukasa back, how can anything be the same after-"

Tiny arms encircled her waist, and for once, Kagami didn't complain. "Because it _will_," said Konata, resting her head on her friend's shoulder. "You just have to believe."

"Easy for you to say."

"No, it's not easy. Not for any of us. But what's the point of assuming things are gonna get worse? You've gotta relax… _moumantai_."

She tried to grimace down at Konata, she really did, but she couldn't pull off the expression. It came out as a sort of half-smile. "And now you're giving me advice from an anime…"

Konata winked. "The words of sages."

"Excuse me…" A passing therapist stopped in front of them and studied a clipboard. "Are you Hiiragi-san and Izumi-san?"

Kagami nodded as she gently extricated herself from Konata's hug, a little reluctantly. "Yes, that's us."

"Ah, I see. Miyuki's ready to see you now."

The two rose to their feet and followed the therapist down the hallway. At room 324, the therapist stopped and knocked twice. A soft voice bid them to come in.

Like the rest of the hospital, her room was all warm colors and light. The smell of fresh starched linen was drowned out by the aromas from the many, many flowers all around her bed: light and powdery pansies, spicy poppies, sweet forsythias, and mellow chamomile, all impeccably arranged. Miyuki sat in the middle of all the greenery, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she watched the bustling sprawl of Shibuya from the window. As they came in, she adjusted her new glasses – such a classically Miyuki-like gesture – and beamed at them. "Konata-san, Kagami-san! Ah, more flowers, thank you so much…"

"Holy cow, Miyuki, there's even more than last time! Where are you gonna _put_ them all?!" said Konata as she handed the hydrangeas over.

Kagami tried desperately not to notice the tubing that snaked into Miyuki's wrist as she leaned forward to accept the gift. The IV was for Miyuki's own good, it was keeping her healthy while she was bedridden. She knew that, but _still_… she wanted to shudder.

"I think Mother is planning to start a garden," said Miyuki. She held the bouquet under her nose for a moment, taking a deep breath before placing it on the bedside table. "Thank you again, they're lovely."

"So," said Konata as she pulled up a chair. "Where is your mom anyway?"

"I believe she's having lunch in the cafeteria with Father."

"Whoa, he's back from Germany?"

Miyuki chuckled softly. "Mother said he couldn't be kept away."

"You're lucky. You still keeping busy?"

"With schoolwork, mostly." Miyuki sighed. "I'm afraid I'm falling quite a bit behind."

"Behind? You? No way, you'll be back on top of the class rankings before you know it. Come on, give the schoolwork a break and just take a rest!"

"Oh no, I enjoy doing it! It feels good to do something normal."

Kagami cringed. She had very little desire to be part of this conversation. Talking about ordinary things like schoolwork only reminded her of how the peacefulness of their everyday lives had been stolen away from them one by one… first from her own life, then from Miyuki's, then Konata's, and now Tsukasa's. _This _was their reality now; school and homework and chores felt more like the foreign elements.

An elbow dug into her side, interrupting her gloomy thoughts. "Kagamin, don't just stand there spacing out… sit down!"

"S-Sorry," she stammered, taking a quick bow. She selected an empty chair and sat next to Konata, trying to look happy. "Hey, Miyuki."

Miyuki made small-talk with them until the therapist left the room. Then, leaning close to Kagami, she muttered, "Have you and Akemi-san made any progress finding Tsukasa-san?"

_There it is_, thought Kagami, cringing again. Miyuki had asked this same question without fail every time she visited, and every time the answer was the same. "Not yet. Homura thinks she's getting close, but-"

Miyuki's shoulders sagged as she leaned back against her pillow, the disappointment plain on her face.

"Hey, hey," said Konata quickly, waving a hand in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Don't be such downers, you two, you're gonna wilt the flowers…"

After shooting a glare in Konata's direction, Kagami took Miyuki's hand. "Miyuki, I promise, as soon as we find something, I'll let you know, okay?"

Miyuki didn't react. She stared straight ahead at the wall.

Panic seized Kagami's heart. "Miyuki?" She squeezed Miyuki's hand in her own, tighter than she probably should have. "Hey, _Miyuki!_"

"Hmm?" Miyuki shook herself and smiled dazedly. "Oh dear, I'm sorry…"

"You sure you're okay?" There was no hiding the concern in Konata's voice. "Maybe we should leave so you can rest."

"No, no, please stay!" said Miyuki, gently patting Kagami's hand. "Don't feel like you have to leave on my account."

Still rattled, Kagami reluctantly released her grip. "If you say so…"

Miyuki sighed. "I'm sorry I keep pestering you," she said, turning away to look out the window. "I just feel so useless…"

"You're _not_ useless," said Kagami firmly. "With what you've been through, you need time to recover. Staying here is the best thing you can do for us right now."

"But I should-" There was a very long pause before Miyuki continued, so long that Kagami was tempted to squeeze her hand again. "I should make up for it, since part of it is my fault, I should be-"

"Come on, that's bull and you know it!" Konata interrupted. She reached over and laid a hand on Miyuki's shoulder.

"But I couldn't stop it from happening." The composure in her voice was unnerving. "I saw it, but I couldn't stop it."

Fine hairs rose on the back of Kagami's neck. This was the first time Miyuki had spoken about what it was like trapped inside the Lair. "You… you knew?"

"I could see flashes," said Miyuki with another sigh. "Most of the time it was like being asleep, but every once in a while I could see what it was doing, just for a while. I knew it was after Tsukasa…"

A pall slowly settled over the room, draining the warmth from it. How could she speak so calmly about her ordeal? By all rights she should be sobbing her eyes out, sobbing would be welcome. This awful, resigned acceptance was a thousand times worse…

"Th-that still doesn't make it your fault," said Kagami, trying to sound reassuring. "Come on, Miyuki, you can't-"

"That thing…" Another long, worrying pause from Miyuki. "That thing targeted Tsukasa because… because I love her. It got the idea… from me… from my memories… my feelings…"

"You…" Kagami shivered in the sudden chill that this new revelation brought on. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly feel worse for Miyuki, there was this. "You mean… you really _do_ have feelings for her?"

"I never wanted this to happen," said Miyuki in a monotone as she turned back to them. There were tears rolling down her cheeks, tears she didn't seem to be aware of. "I never would have acted on those feelings, Kagami-san, never. It's my fault. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The steady ticking of Kagami's watch was the only sound for a long time.

"It's not your fault," Kagami heard herself say. "It's not-"

She was interrupted as Konata leaped out of her chair and hugged Miyuki tight, as if she could squeeze the tears out of her by will alone. "_Moumantai_," she said, her voice muffled. "_Moumantai. _Loving someone is… it's never a bad thing, you don't have to feel guilty about that. Everything's gonna be okay, Miyuki, I promise. Kagamin and Akemi-san are gonna find those things and kick their ugly asses. They'll bring Tsukasa back, and we'll all be together again."

At a loss for what else to do, Kagami leaned over and hugged her as well.

Soon enough, it was time for them to leave. They bid Miyuki farewell, then walked the halls to the elevator in silence. It was only once the elevator doors slid closed that Konata began to sniffle.

"Hey, hey," said Kagami sadly, drawing her friend close. "Don't you start."

"C-Can't help it," said Konata between sobs. "Everything's… everything's so messed up…"

"Yeah." Kagami nodded and patted her shoulder. "Yeah, it is."

* * *

><p><strong>Takanomiya<strong>

**An Hour Later**

The setting sun was a fat orange orb against the swirled canvas of pink clouds and purple-blue summer sky, warming the back of Kagami's neck as she walked home from the train station. She was so distracted by what had happened with Miyuki that it took her longer than usual to respond when Homura arrived, stepping down soundlessly from atop a stone wall and falling into pace at her side, her battle costume melting back into her school uniform.

"Don't tell me, still nothing," said Kagami wearily. After two weeks, she couldn't muster much enthusiasm anymore.

"Actually… I think I know where they are."

Kagami missed a step and nearly twisted her ankle. Instantly she was clinging to Homura's arm. "You do?! Where, where are they?"

Out came Homura's tablet. She tapped the screen until it displayed a map, casting her features in a glow that was made all the more eerie by the fading light. "If I've read their energy signatures correctly, the Lair is within Hikawa Shrine."

"Hikawa," repeated Kagami, clenching her fists. It was appropriate. If the Demons truly were a corruption of herself, as Desideria had claimed, why wouldn't they chose to pervert one of the oldest and most sacred shrines in Saitama?

"Yes," said Homura. "It's a poor place to feed, but an excellent place to hide… we'll need to break into the shrine under cover of darkness to avoid suspicion."

"Whatever, I don't care what we have to do." Kagami's expression hardened. "As long as we get Tsukasa back and make them pay, I'm all for it."

"I assume you want to go after them as quickly as possible?"

"Yeah."

"Tomorrow night, then." Homura slipped her tablet back into her bag.

"Tomorrow?" Kagami tilted her head to one side. "Why not tonight?"

"There are preparations to be made first," said Homura. "For one thing, there is the matter of telling your family…"

Kagami stopped. "No. I don't want to worry them. They shouldn't have to know about-"

"_Kagami._" Homura fixed her with those piercing violet eyes. "You're being irrational."

"Irrational?! Homura, this is my _sister_, I'm not_-_"

"This may be the last night you ever spend with them."

Kagami's insides turned to ice.

"You must consider very carefully what we're about to face," said Homura with terrible calm. "These are the last two of the Nine. One of them is apparently their leader, a being with powers we know nothing of. What's more, this is their last chance to succeed. It's only natural to assume that they'll attack together, and that they'll resort to _anything_ to achieve their goals, whatever those goals may be." She drew closer, her face as rigid and cold as the first day they met. "You've fought bravely beside me in the past, but what we're up against will likely be different from anything you've experienced. As frightening as it is, as much as you might wish otherwise, you must accept the possibility that we may fail. We may die."

Kagami was dumbstruck. Like a child being lectured by an adult, she felt very, very small... She had faced death before, hell, she had been facing it constantly ever since that day on the train, but it wasn't until that moment that the enormity of it sunk in: she could be dead by tomorrow, her existence at an end. Her mind flooded with images of her mother weeping into her father's shoulder, Matsuri and Inori standing vigil by an empty grave… Seconds ticked by on her watch, slipping away into the ether like grains of sand through her fingers... Homura was right, of course she was right. There was no question of going into battle tonight; how on earth could she not take this one last chance to prepare, to tell her parents, to… she grew faint at just the thought… to say goodbye?

She didn't even feel her knees giving way until Homura's arm caught her in mid-fall. "Ho-Homura…" she choked out, and then she was crying, really crying for the first time since losing Tsukasa. All her worries, all her fears, all her sleepless nights bubbled up to the surface one after another, and the tears wouldn't stop.

"I'm here." Homura held her upright as she always did, steady as a rock in the middle of a stormy sea.

It took a long while for Kagami to cry it out, but when it was over, she felt… cleansed. Not exactly at peace, but more ready to face what was to come. As she wiped her eyes on the lavender handkerchief that Homura offered, she couldn't help but ask: "Is this what you go through? Does… does it ever get any easier?"

Homura smiled sadly. "No. It never does."

* * *

><p><strong>Hiiragi Household<strong>

"… So that's it. We're going tomorrow." Kagami let out the breath she felt like she had been holding for years, and clenched her hand tighter around Homura's. They sat side by side on the couch, facing her mother and father… facing the music.

To their credit, her parents hadn't interrupted them once. They sat and listened as calmly as was possible as she and Homura laid out their plans, where they were going, what they were doing, and what was at stake. Seconds ticked by in silence, Kagami's watch drowned out by the much deeper ticking of the cat-shaped clock in the kitchen.

Tadao was the first to speak. He swallowed several times, trying to find his voice. "You can't just…"

"Just what, Dad?"

"Tell someone. Tell the authorities. There has to be some way to get her back that doesn't put you both in danger…" It was a feeble attempt, and he knew it.

Kagami bit her lip and shook her head. "No, Dad. There's nobody else that can do it. It has to be us."

"But _why?!_" Miki exploded. Her violet eyes welled with angry tears. "You're… you're seventeen years old, you're just _children!_ Children shouldn't be responsible for… for all _this!_" She waved an arm; it wasn't quite clear what she was indicating with the gesture: the family, the house, or possibly the world.

"Hiiragi-okaa-san," said Homura. Kagami marveled once again at how she could stay so calm. "In the world I come from, girls like me risk everything, even their lives, for the sake of their wishes." She closed her eyes. "I fought long and hard for the fulfillment of my wish. Your world works very differently, but I've seen your daughters fight just as hard for their desires, for the people that they love… if you think that Kagami isn't strong enough, you're wrong. You haven't seen what I've seen."

"I'm not saying-" stammered Miki.

"There's more." Now it was Homura's turn to squeeze Kagami's hand. "Kagami is risking not just herself, but _everything that is_ in order to fight for her sister's life. The kind of bravery it takes to willingly go into battle when so much is at stake… I've seen that kind of determination very few times in my life, Hiiragi-okaa-san. There's nothing you can do."

Tadao stood up. Kagami had never seen him more angry, his face was burning red. "We're her parents. I'm her father. If I say she's not going, she's not going!"

"Do you really think you could stop me, Dad?" Kagami met her father's gaze, daring him to tell her to stay.

Tadao Hiiragi looked into his daughter's eyes… and saw something there that would not back down. In that moment, he knew that this was a fight he would never win, and it broke his heart. A treasured memory flashed through his mind, a memory of holding twin newborn girls in his arms for the first time, long ago… how had someone so tiny and helpless grown up into the young woman now staring defiantly back at him?

Miki wasn't looking at Kagami. She was looking at the strange, raven-haired girl who sat next to her, the one that had come out of nowhere, quiet and mysterious, and captured Kagami's heart. A blind person could see it now: it was in the way they held each other's hands, in the strength they found in each other's presence. There was something there between them, a depth of feeling that went beyond friendship, beyond affection, beyond passion, beyond words. In that moment, she not only saw that she and Tadao would lose this argument… she saw, she _knew_ what was brewing, and what would happen tonight. The certainty of it chilled her to the bone; in a way, it was as if Kagami was already lost to her.

Miki reached up with a trembling hand and took her husband's arm. "Tadao?"

He knew. "Miki…"

Miki swallowed. "We… we have to let them go."

"Mom… Dad…" Kagami rose from the couch and hugged first her father, then her mother, then both at once. "I'll… I'll do everything I can to bring her back, but if… if…"

"Shhh." Miki kissed her daughter's forehead, wetting it with her tears. "We know. We know you will."

Kagami stood back, wiped her eyes, and bowed deeply to her parents. "Thank you. For everything." Then , she gently took Homura's hand, led her out of the living room and climbed the stairs with her.

* * *

><p>They sat on the bed facing each other. The only light was from the moonglow streaming through the windows and from Kagami's tiny desk lamp.<p>

"Kagami…" said Homura hesitantly.

"You… you don't have to say anything."

"I think I do."

Kagami trembled. "Go ahead, then."

"If… if this is the last night that we're together…"

A small smile crept onto her lips. "It won't be."

"… then I don't want to regret anything."

"Neither do I."

"So I want to tell you… I love you, Kagami."

Kagami leaned close. "I love you too, Homura."

It wasn't like their first kiss. This time, there were no tears, there was no hesitation, no trauma to overcome. This time there was only the two of them, the moon, and the lamplight as they met at the lips, warmth flowing into each other… The rest of existence melted away, and they floated together, suspended in space and time…

When they broke apart, an eternity later, Homura was the first to speak. "I… I want to show you…"

"Show me what?"

"How much you mean to me." Her pale cheeks flushed with pink.

"Homura…" Kagami laid a hand on her shoulder. "Don't force yourself. If you don't want to-"

"I do." She turned around, cloth rustling as her hands fumbled with her uniform.

"Are you sure?" Kagami bit her lip.

"Yes," Homura nodded. "As sure as I've ever been." She stood up, hidden from Kagami's view behind her curtain of black hair. More fabric rustled, and the uniform fell as she turned around…

Kagami would treasure that moment for the rest of her life. Homura stood bathed in moonlight, a pale, slender goddess framed by midnight hair and starry skies… the most beautiful person Kagami had ever seen, could ever imagine… Her lips moved as she tried to say something, but nothing came out.

Homura's blush grew deeper. Hesitantly she made to cover her bare breasts with her hands. "I'm… I'm sorry if I'm not…"

"Shhhh." Kagami moved her hands away. "Don't say anything."

"But-"

"Don't. No buts. No regrets." Shyly she laid a finger on Homura's lips. "Let's just… be. For one night, let's just be."

Homura closed her eyes and nodded.

Kagami reached over and turned out the light.

**END OF CHAPTER 26**


	27. Chapter 27: We'll Always Have Tonight

_***[Author's Note] This is the __**clean version**__ of this chapter, written to comply as closely as possible with FF and DA guidelines. However, if you still find yourself offended while reading it, you may go ahead and skip to Chapter 28. The __**adult version**__ will be found on AFF, AO3, and my Google Drive. No, I am _not_ providing a direct link; that would be asking to get banned. If you've read this far, you should be more than capable of finding it yourself. Search engines are your friends. In any case, have fun. – BHS***_

[COVER LINK FORTHCOMING]

**CHAPTER 27: We'll Always Have Tonight**

"Should I-"

"Should you what?"

"… Should I help you undress?"

"Oh. S-Sure, if you want."

"Thank you."

"Sorry, I'm a little- Homura, your hands…"

"…"

"They're shaking…"

"… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Here."

"I've never done this before…"

"Neither have I, so let's just… go slow. One step at a time. We'll figure it out."

"…"

"It clasps in the back."

"I've got it. There... _Oh_."

"Is… is something wrong?"

"Oh my."

"You... like them?"

"They're… perfect."

"Go ahead, it's all right."

"…"

"Mmm…"

"Does it feel… good?"

"Yeah."

"Kagami…"

"Yeah?"

"It… it feels good to me, too."

"Heh. Konata's right, you're cute when you blush."

"You won't-"

"Absolutely not. She'll never let us hear the end of it. I won't say anything if you won't."

"All right. Can we-"

"Can we wha- oh. Sure."

"Mmm."

"Mmm~."

"Do you want me to move?"

"You can if you want."

"How is that?"

"Better."

"…"

"… Oh. You're-"

"It's… it's okay. Keep going, if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"All right… then…"

"_Ahn~!_"

"Kagami?! I'm sorry, did that hurt?"

"No, i-it's okay, you just… surprised me, th-that's all."

"Shall I… keep going?"

"Y-Yeah. Go slow."

"I'll try."

"Oh God."

"…"

"Oh _God._"

"You're still-"

"Yes, yes, I'm f-f-fine… _ahn~!_"

"There?"

"Right there… just like that…"

"Mmm."

"H-Homura…"

"Mmm. Kagami, you're warm."

"_Homura…_"

"…"

"Oh _God._"

"Do you want to-"

"_Ahn~!_ _Haaah~…_"

"…"

"How… how are you… doing that…?"

"This?"

"_Ahhhhn~!_"

"Oh my, I'm sorry…!"

"_Haa~_… no… don't be… You're… amazing. Are you sure you've never-"

"Only… by myself. You?"

"Um."

"…?"

"Well… there were a few times that I… you know. And once or twice I looked at Konata's manga…"

"Manga…? … Oh. _Oh._"

"Just out of curiosity! I never thought I'd-"

"It's all right. I understand."

"…"

"What are you doing?"

"Lie back."

"A-all right…"

"N-Now, if you'd just move… a little bit…"

"Like this?"

"Yeah. Now… stop me if you get uncomfortable, okay?"

"I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay, here goes. Ready?"

"Ready."

"…"

"…!"

"Mmm…"

"_Oh~._"

"Hmm?"

"N-no, d-don't stop…"

"Mmm-hmm."

"_Kuh… ah~…_"

"…"

"K-Kagami…"

"…"

"Oh. _Oh~._"

"…"

"Th-that feels…"

"…?"

"It… it tickles… but it's…"

"Hmmm…"

"…!"

"…! Homura?"

"_Haa…_"

"Are you okay?"

"… Fine…"

"You sure?"

"… More."

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Please… do _that_… more."

"All right. Whatever you want."

"…! …! …!"

"Mmm."

"I… I…"

"Hmm?"

"I can't… hold on… much longer…"

"It's okay."

"_Ah… hah… oh..._"

"…!"

"_Oh~!_"

"_…!_"

"Ka… ga… mi…"

"That… was intense…"

"…"

"…"

"How do you feel?"

"Warm. Tingling. Happy…"

"…"

"Kagami?"

"Yeah?

"Can we-"

"Of course."

"…"

"…"

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I'm sorry it took so long to say it…"

"No regrets, remember? Not tonight."

"Wh-what…"

"This… might be a little-"

"_Mmf._"

"- awkward… at first…"

"Are you-"

"Trying something new. Hang on."

"How do you even _know_ about-"

"Konata's manga."

"_Oh._"

"Wait. I think I've almost… hang on…"

"_Iya_~_!_"

"Oooh, sorry, sorry! Are you okay?"

"It's nothing, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? We don't have to-"

"Kagami. I trust you."

"… Okay."

"…"

"Oh God."

"_Oh~._"

"Nnn…"

"_Ah…_"

"Oh _God._"

"_Haaa…!_"

"Am I…"

"No… don't stop…"

"Are you… sure?"

"Please…"

"…"

"…"

"Homura…"

"Kagami…!"

"_Hnnn~!_"

"…_!_"

"Haa… haa…"

"Whew… haa…"

"I'm so…"

"I know. Me too."

"Hold me."

"Okay."

"Kagami, if-"

"Shhh."

"If we don't-"

"_Homura._ Come here."

"Mmm."

"I want to remember this, as we are right now. Always. Whatever happens tomorrow, we'll always have tonight. Okay?"

"All right."

"So let's just… just lie here for a little while."

"All right."

"…"

"…"

"It's a pretty moon out tonight, isn't it?"

"It is, it's beautiful. And the sky…"

"I've never seen so many stars…"

**END OF CHAPTER 27**


	28. Chapter 28: You Can't Trust Anyone

"_I touch the fire and it freezes me_

_I look into it and it's black_

_Why can't I feel? My skin should crack and peel_

_I want the fire back_

_Now through the smoke she calls to me_

_To make my way across the flame_

_To save the day, or maybe melt away_

_I guess it's all the same_

_So I will walk through the fire_

'_Cause where else can I turn?_

_I will walk through the fire_

_And let it…"_

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer, _"Walk Through the Fire", from "Once More, With Feeling"

_©2001 Mutant Enemy/Rounder Records/20__th__ Century Fox_

**CHAPTER 28: You Can't Trust Anyone**

**On the Utsunomiya Line, Saitaima**

**The Next Night**

The train to Omiya rocked gently back and forth as it sped along through the foggy night to its destination. If one were to take a look inside the second-to-last of the cars that night, they would see an odd sight: two high-school girls, both apparently deep in thought, sitting side-by-side in an isolated corner. That wasn't the unusual part. What was unusual was the way their hands were clasped so tightly together, and had been so ever since they boarded the train in Takanomiya… as if to give each other strength… as if they were facing the end of the world.

Kagami turned off her phone, clicked it shut, and slipped it into her skirt pocket. That was it, it was done. The messages were delivered. Now, God forbid, if the worst happened, at least-

Once again, Homura seemed to know what she was thinking. Her hand squeezed Kagami's reassuringly.

Kagami feigned a smile and squeezed back.

* * *

><p>Early that morning, Kagami had awakened to beams of summer sunlight streaming in through her window, and Homura sleeping angelically in the tangle of bedsheets at her side. Remnants of the tingling heat from last night fluttered faintly in her belly as she leaned down and softly kissed Homura's forehead. With a smile she stretched, faced the morning, and for the first time since Tsukasa was taken, she thought to herself: <em>We'll be okay. We can do this.<em>

That feeling lasted until she came downstairs, dressed and showered… and found the rest of her family sitting silently around the dinner table. It was clear from their red and puffy eyes and exhausted expressions that neither her mother and father nor Inori and Matsuri had gone to sleep last night. Her moment of golden confidence crashed down around her, and before she said anything to them she hugged them all, told them that she loved them… and then she started to lie. Lies spilled out one after another, as if something foreign had seized control of her mouth and was speaking in her stead.

"It's going to be all right," she told them.

And "If we're together, I know Homura and I will win."

And "Don't worry. We'll bring Tsukasa back safe."

And the biggest lie of all, "I'm not scared."

Then, barely holding back tears, she asked to be alone for a while.

* * *

><p>When Homura found her some time later, she was huddled by the pond in the back yard, her knees drawn up to her chin, staring at her reflection in the still water. The reflection's eyes were red-rimmed. Without a word, Homura sat down on a rock beside her. The world seemed oddly tranquil for this time of year… the usual drone of the cicadas was absent, and aside from a few lonely birdcalls, there was no sound at all.<p>

"There's a summer festival coming up soon," said Kagami after a long time. "In a couple weeks. It's being held on the shrine grounds… I got a new yukata for it and everything."

Homura said nothing. Her expression was unreadable.

"I was going to try the goldfish scooping game again this year. I've never won it before," said Kagami with a wistful smile. "I think it would be nice, you know, to have a fish living here." Slowly she reached down and touched the surface of the water with her fingertip, watching the ripples blur her image. "There's never enough time…" she whispered. The clockwork watch on her wrist ticked away in the silence that followed.

Calmly Homura reached over to put a hand on her shoulder.

The smile trembled precariously on Kagami's lips. "I-I should be terrified right now, but I just feel… numb. Like I can hardly believe any of this is real, like it's not really happening… God…"

"I understand."

"How do you do it?" asked Kagami, finally looking up from the pond. "How do you go through it all without breaking? Don't you just want it to… to _stop?_"

"Sometimes." Homura's voice was very low. Her eyes disappeared into shadow beneath her bangs. "I've been fighting for so long that sometimes I can't even remember what it was like before… Sometimes, when I think about what it might be like… if the fight were over, if I could have a life like yours… friends, a family…" Pinkness colored her cheeks. "If I could have more nights like last night-"

The memory of them together, the warmth, the scent, the passion… it all flowed in one great rush through Kagami's mind, and for an instant, she felt the ghost of the swell deep inside her.

"- I think that's when I most want it to stop," said Homura softly. "That's when I think I would give anything in the world to just be normal again. But that's when I remember…" She took Kagami's hand, lifted it up and gently brushed her fingertips against the red ribbon in her hair. "I remember what _she_ fought for. What _she_ promised…"

"Homura…" It was the first time Homura had mentioned _her_ since the night of the battle with the Sixth.

"There's a… you could call it a creed, or a prayer. We all learn it, the moment we make our contracts, and it's something that we never forget," Homura whispered. "Most of us wonder at least once where it comes from, but I know… it's a message that comes from _her_."

The breeze picked up, and Kagami felt an inexplicable urge to shiver.

"I'd like to teach you that prayer," said Homura as she entwined her fingers with Kagami's. Her eyes were wet, but she was smiling.

"All right." Kagami nodded. An idea occurred to her. "How about if… if we pray together, before we leave. You teach me your prayer first, and then I'll show you ours."

* * *

><p>Fog had begun to gather by the time the little party came to the shrine. It curled in tendrils around their ankles as they approached, the five Hiiragis dressed in their sacred red and white garments while Homura followed behind the procession, her head bowed. Inori and Matsuri sprinkled holy water and salt on the path as they passed. Tadao chanted the ancient words of the liturgy, while behind him Miki waved the <em>haraegushi<em> wand gently back and forth. Last was Kagami, walking slowly, clutching the offering box with its single precious gift to the _kami_: a tiny evergreen branch. With each step she thought her sister's name: _Tsukasa. Tsukasa. Tsukasa._

The invocation was a simple one: a call for Heaven to protect and watch over the family, to keep them from illness and harm, to grant them safety in their travels. Homura couldn't understand some of the words, as they were in an archaic form of Japanese that she was unfamiliar with… but the _power_ in those words… There was only one higher power she had ever truly believed in, but as she stood in front of the shrine with the family, she could have sworn that her skin tingled with the presence of the ancient gods that Tadao Hiiragi called upon, and she wondered, if only for a moment, if they weren't already there, watching just as _she_ was… Homura stood back, not wanting to intrude, as Kagami brought the box to the _haiden_ and reverently placed it there. She rang the shrine's bell solemnly, then looked back over her shoulder and nodded. Homura hesitated a moment, then gathered herself, taking her place by Kagami's side and grasping the striped rope that hung from the bell. The sound of the chime was muted and metallic, as if dampened by the gloom.

Once the prayers were finished, the four Hiiragis turned as one to look at Kagami. Silence fell… their moment of unity was over, and now a line stood between Kagami and the rest of her family, a line that they could not cross. Though they stood only inches away, if felt to Kagami as if they were on the opposite side of a vast gorge. The mental image stirred something in her mind, a faint echo of a half-remembered thought… but it was gone the moment she tried to concentrate on it. The fog seeped into her bones, and she began to shiver. Why couldn't she say anything? Why was she just standing there instead of… instead of saying- she could hardly bear to even think the word-

Homura's hand touched hers, and the last line of the Puellae Magi's prayer that they had said together drifted through her mind, the prayer that they had in that quiet moment by the pond. Such a simple phrase, but it gave her strength. Smiling through fresh tears, she mouthed the words to her family that she wasn't able to speak, then turned with Homura and walked into the mist.

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

That same mist had only grown more oppressive since they left the train. The moment they passed through the first of the shrine's three gates, Kagami felt it start to push down on her shoulders, like some huge hand weighing on her. The sound of her soles padding against the old stone path seemed unnaturally loud to her, each tick of her watch echoed harshly and hollowly… the effect did nothing to calm her nerves, already frayed and on edge.

She hiked her equipment bag further up her shoulder as they advanced through the park that surrounded the shrine. The fog kept them from seeing more than a meter ahead, but she could _tell_ the place was empty… even this late at night with the main shrine closed, there should have been people here, visiting the museum or the zoo that were popular features of the park, but now there was nothing but silence and the dreadful fog. The miasma even distorted the forest of ancient elms that lined the path… instead of standing tall and proud, the trees seemed to bend forward, looming ominously over them, their branches leaning down like bony fingers waiting to snatch them up. Kagami dismissed this as an illusion brought on by her fear, but she couldn't convince herself completely...

"Kagami?"

Homura's voice startled her far more than it should have. Swallowing heavily and trying to calm her racing heartbeat, she edged up to the Puella Magi and peered anxiously over her shoulder. "What is it? Do you see something?"

"Look." Homura stooped to pick something up that was lying abandoned on the path. It was a child's doll, its smiling plastic face ghastly in the distorted moonlight.

"Gah, don't scare me like that!" said Kagami as she let out a breath, her tone a little harsher than she intended. "Put that thing down, it's giving me the creeps…"

Something scraped in the fog bank.

Homura was transformed in an instant, drawing a handgun from her shield before the violet flash of her magic had faded. The doll fell and clattered on the pavement.

Kagami's skin crawled madly as she fumbled with the equipment bag, tore it open and retrieved her _bokken_. Gripping the hilt tightly, she backed up against Homura, mentally preparing herself for the next horror the Demons would-

It wasn't the Demons. The dozens of shapes emerging from the fog were ordinary people, men and women and children, shambling toward them like the undead in a horror film… Their bloodless faces were twisted in agony. Muffled screams and cries, groans and whimpers escaped their bloated purple lips, held wide open by sheets of ice. As the people drew nearer, closing around them in a rough circle, Kagami saw that their eyes were open as well, open and unblinking and frozen over with tears…

She recoiled in horror, all preparedness gone, feeling a cold sweat break out that threatened her grip on the hilt. "Homura, they're _human!_"

"They've been Branded," said Homura, barely concealing her disgust. "The Demons are counting on us being unwilling to fight them."

"So what are we gonna _do?!_"  
>Two very small shapes stumbled out of the miasma. Kagami's moan of despair caught in her throat; they were barely more than toddlers, a boy and a girl. Both faces were trapped in mid-scream, their eyes were locked on her. Pudgy little white hands pawed at the air, searching blindly for prey, the fingers bent and contorted into inhuman claws…<p>

"There's no choice," said Homura. "We can't fight without hurting them, and we can't let them delay us. We'll have to go through them."

"Go through…? But-"

"Close your eyes as tightly as you can and hold onto me. Be ready to run." Homura withdrew a round, olive green object from her shield and pulled the pin…

Kagami did as she was told, squeezing her eyes shut and groping for Homura's hand in the dark. Seconds later she wondered if her eyes were shut at all… a brilliant white flash seeped in through her eyelids and pierced straight through to her brain, accompanied by a deafening explosion that left her ears ringing and her nostrils filled with acrid smoke.

The flashbang may have been disorienting to Kagami… but for the Branded humans who could not close their eyes, it was torture. Those closest to the grenade collapsed on the spot, trying to scream and clawing uselessly at their frozen faces, while the dozens more behind them staggered drunkenly, all sense of direction lost.

Kagami felt Homura squeeze her hand. Her eyes streaming, she fell into step beside her, glad that the ringing in her ears prevented her from hearing the muted cries of pain. As they fled ever deeper into the fog, dodging frigid grasping hands, past the second of the three gates, she resolved once again to make the Demons pay for everyone they had made suffer. As a litany she repeated their names in her mind: Homura, of course. Ayano and Misao. Miyuki. Konata. Aya. And Tsukasa…

* * *

><p><strong>Izumi Household, Satte<strong>

The bedroom door clicked softly shut behind Konata, and she let out a relieved sigh. Job hunting was tough enough normally, but when your last place of employment was a café that had had to shut down due to the disappearance of one of its staff… It seemed like everyone in Akihabara knew something strange had happened at the Happy Nyoron. When she mentioned the name of the place or it came up on her resumé, her interviewers tended to make a pained expression and hurriedly change the subject. She was wary of getting her hopes up yet again. Already at least three times now she had been sure she would get the job, only to have her hopes dashed and have to start the whole process over again.

But… and it was a _big_ but… this last interview had gone well. Really, _really_ well. The manager of Cos-Cha had been visibly impressed by her knowledge of all things otaku… not to mention her ability to appeal to "special interests". The Happy Nyoron incident had barely come up at all. And when he learned that Konata could provide some of her own costumes? _That_ had possibly been the clincher.

Grinning like a madwoman, she flopped onto her bed. She was exhausted, but somehow exhilarated at the same time… her body vibrated with nervous energy. Konata didn't think she would be able to sleep or play games or do much of anything until she heard back from the manager, but she couldn't just sit still. Just for something to do, she flicked open her phone and scrolled through her messages…

Konata sat up immediately as Kagami's address scrolled by on the screen. Kagami almost never texted when she could just talk or leave voice mail… texting was _Tsukasa's_ thing. Suppressing a pang of loss at the thought of her missing friend's name, she opened the message. With each line she read, her eyes grew wider…

"_Dear Konata,_

_ "Homura and I are going after Tsukasa tonight. By the time you read this, we'll probably already be fighting. I hope you can forgive me for not telling you where we are… it's better this way. You'll be safe at home where they can't hurt you. You're probably really pissed right now, but please, try to understand… I couldn't bear it if anything happened to you because of me. Almost losing you once was hard enough._

_ "If we don't make it back… I want you to know that you're my best friend and I love you. See you on the other side._

_ "-Kagami"_

The phone slipped out of Konata's hands and made a hollow sound as it struck the floor. All her happiness and energy from moments before was now gone, evaporated into ether. "Kagamin, no. No," she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why… why wouldn't you tell me in person… why wouldn't you-" Sheets rustled as she made a wild scramble to her window and pressed her palms against the glass, staring out into the dark summer night as if by her will alone she could find a beacon, some kind of sign as to where she had gone. "Kagamin…" Terror and helplessness clutched her heart in a vicegrip. _She's out there somewhere_, she thought wildly. _She's out there somewhere and I can't help her… I can't do anything…_

Unseen behind her, a small figure materialized on one of her high shelves, swishing its fluffy white tail and fixing Konata with its red-eyed stare…

* * *

><p><strong>Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>

Miyuki wasn't able to hear her phone when it first went off. At the time, she wasn't able to hear much of anything, in fact. Though it lay on the table right by her bedside, her phone might as well have been a thousand miles away.

The doctors called it "emotional detachment". They had explained in detail to Miyuki and her parents that after suffering a severe psychological trauma, sometimes the mind would periodically disconnect itself from the body, leaving her in an unresponsive state though she appeared to be awake. It was a perfectly natural coping mechanism, they had said gently to her mother and father after the first few times this happened. There was no reason for them to worry. Miyuki tended to concur with that; in fact, being disconnected was rather relaxing, pleasant. To be able to escape from herself, even if only for a few minutes at a time, to be away from this room and the doctors and just _stop_ thinking for a while…

Because it was when she had time to think about it all that Miyuki would reenter the nightmare.

The memories were still vividly clear and sharp as razors. In the random seconds, minutes, or hours that her consciousness emerged from the blackness of her imprisonment, she would feel a rush of unfathomable terror. She would try to scream, to cry, to wiggle her toes, to do _anything_, but she would always be paralyzed, helpless within the mirror. No feeling of warmth or coldness on her skin, or anything at all. No breath, no heartbeat, just stasis, one long and almost endless _now_. And each time she would watch, unable to blink or look away, as the _thing_ that had stolen her face went about its work, fooling her friends, her family, her loved ones… Miyuki's consciousness would silently howl in the dark, trying and failing to warn them, until it could take no more and crash mercifully back into dreamless sleep, into oblivion.

They told her that it was over now, that she was safe, that nothing could hurt her anymore. But the _thing_ still haunted her nightmares and her waking moments alike… The only time she could be completely free of it was when she disconnected. So she welcomed the moments of detachment, though it still disturbed her mother and father and her friends… They didn't understand. Miyuki doubted that they ever would.

It was after emerging from one such period that she noticed the blinking light coming from her phone. Still tingling and half-asleep, her thumb flicked automatically over the bed's controls, tilting her mattress upward. Puzzled, she retrieved the phone and flipped it open…

"_Dear Miyuki,_

_ "I already told Konata, so it's only right to tell you too. Tonight's the night that Homura and I are going to rescue Tsukasa. We're on the way right now. I can't tell you where we're going, I hope you'll understand. It's safer this way._

_ "If we make it back… let's all go out for cake when you get better, all five of us. And if we don't… well, just know that we gave it everything we had. We'll make them pay for what they did to you, Miyuki, I swear we will._

_ "Goodbye._

"_- Kagami"_

A drop fell and splattered on the phone's screen. Miyuki's hand trembled as she brought it up to her face… she wasn't aware that she had started crying until she felt the wetness on her cheek. Fits of tears had started and stopped so often over the past few weeks that she hardly noticed them anymore. But this was different… The thought that she might never see Kagami or Tsukasa again terrified her more than anything since her imprisonment. A black pit of emptiness opened up in her stomach, her breaths grew short and hard and her throat grew tight, she was suffocating…

Out of the corner of her eye, something flickered in the window. Miyuki's heart gave a great lurch and nearly stopped from shock. The first thought that made it through her panicked mind was, _It's back. Somehow it survived and it's come back…_

But it wasn't the Demon. Sitting on the sill was a creature she had heard described by Kagami but had never seen before, something like a cat and something like a rabbit, with round red eyes that stared at her quizzically. For a moment there was only silence as it and Miyuki stared at each other…

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

The third and final gate loomed closely up ahead as the sky shattered and the world tore itself to pieces. All that was constant was the awful fog; even the stone path underneath their feet was changing. The shapes of the Branded victims grew fainter and lest distinct, reminding Kagami of ghosts… the comparison was more apt than ever as one reached for her shoulder and his twisted fingers passed through her harmlessly with nothing more than a deathly chill.

One step through the gate, and reality simply _snapped_. Kagami's ears popped audibly as the gate and all the other remnants of the real world vanished without a trace. Goosebumps instantly prickled up on her arms and legs, and she hugged herself in the sudden bitter cold. It was far from a summer night in here; the temperature in the Lair was a good forty degrees lower, at least, making her wish she had worn something more substantial than her t-shirt, shorts, and jacket. "H-H-Homura…" she shivered, drawing closer to her, desperate for her warmth. Her breath emerged in small clouds that wreathed around her as she spoke.

The Lair looked as if some enormous hand had come down from the ceiling of thick, steel-colored clouds overhead and gouged a handful out of the earth. It was a well… an immense, roughly circular well, so vast that the opposite wall was lost to view over the horizon. They stood on the edge of a plateau, a rocky cliff that overlooked a dizzying hundred-meter drop. At their side was a great motionless river, tumbling over the cliff's edge in a silent waterfall that cascaded to the surface of a frozen lake far, far below. The well's curving, iron grey walls bore grotesque carvings of humanoid giants, each shackled cruelly to their station with crystalline manacles and chains that entwined their bodies. Kagami paled at the sight of their faces… only vague suggestions, as if the sculptor hadn't bothered to finish them. Their features were indistinct, shapeless… _wrong._

"Kagami?" Homura pointed downward. There, in the very center of the lake, a jagged collection of icy spires were gathered, jutting up at random, threatening angles from the frozen surface of the water.

Rubbing her arms, Kagami looked down at the spires and nodded. "Of c-course it's in the middle of the lake. B-but how are we gonna get d-down?"

"Allow me."

"Uh, sure. What are you-" A small _eep_ escaped Kagami's lips as Homura slipped behind her and scooped her into her arms like a prince in a fairy tale. Blushing furiously, she wrapped her arms securely around the Puella Magi's neck. "Wait, don't tell me you're gonna…!"

"Hold tight." Homura crouched down for a moment, then dashed forward to the edge of the cliff and took a flying leap over it, into thin air…

Kagami screamed. She knew Homura must have something in mind, but the sensation of the wind rushing past her and howling in her ears as they began to fall tore the scream from her mouth anyway. Gripping onto her so tight that her knuckles whitened, she squeezed her eyes shut-

There was a soft, sharp sound, a great beating of the air, a jolt of inertia, and their fall slowed abruptly. Daring to crack one eye open, Kagami saw… feathers. White and fluffy feathers… Mystified, she watched as they spread out wide from Homura's back like twin capes, not her ominous dark space wings, but a pair that could have come from a painting of an angel. Awed and somewhat flustered, she gave Homura a shaky smile as they descended. "A little warning next time would be nice, okay? Seriously…"

"I'm sorry," said Homura softly. "I've never done this with a passenger before."

"Angel wings…" muttered Kagami, looking back at them. "You never stop surprising me, you know?" _Angel._ She frowned as something tickled in the back of her mind. There was something important about that, something she had forgotten…

_"Huuuuuuuuuh…"_

The noise made the fine hairs stand up on the back of Kagami's neck. It was barely a voice, more of a groan than a word, but it vibrated through her bones like the tremors from an earthquake. She had no idea where it could have come from. "Homura! Did you-"

"I heard," said Homura. "Look!"

At first she couldn't tell what Homura was referring to. All she could see as they descended was the waterfall, the cliff walls, and the chained giant statues. But then she noticed the fine shower of dust and snow falling from the hand of the giant nearest them. Its fingers were flexing, its hand was moving, so slowly as to be almost imperceptible… it was reaching for them. And equally slowly, the giant's head was lifting, raising the shallow, empty pits of its eye sockets to them as if it could actually see them. The detritus of who knew how many years shifted and fell in a glittering rain from its formless brow as its half-finished features moved. Lower on its face, its grey, stone-like flesh began to tear and stretch like taffy. Black blood flowed freely from where its lips and mouth should have been as the tears grew wider… The giant drew in a long, slow, rattling breath, and…

_"Huuuuuuuuuuh… help… me…"_ it groaned, its voice low, thick, and primal, like that of an animal just barely capable of imitating human speech. _"Help… me…"_

Beads of cold sweat slid down Kagami's forehead, adding to the chill of the already frigid Lair. Her skin was clammy, crawling… "Wh-what do we-"

"We do nothing." Homura's voice was hard as iron. "Killing it would be a waste of energy."

"But Homura…"

"It's just a distraction, I don't think it can harm us. Try to ignore it."

Shivering, Kagami watched the giant's hand sluggishly paw the air. Its manacle kept it well out of reach of them. But that torn-open mouth was still moving, still bleeding…

_"Help… me… please…"_ In the distance, one of the other giants now began to move. As with the first, it ripped its face open to speak as it strained uselessly with the bonds holding it to the cliff. Next to it, another stirred, and then another farther away… Soon the air was rent with their horrid moaning as they all spoke at once, trying to drown each other out. _"Help… please… Let me go… It hurts… Help me… Make it stop… Help me…"_ Their voices rose in a cacophony, louder and louder until the whole Lair rumbled from the echoes and Kagami could hear nothing else, not even her own thoughts. She buried her face in Homura's shoulder, just wanting it to end. _"MAKE IT STOP… PLEASE… HELP ME… MAKE IT STOP!"_ If it went on much longer, she thought she would lose her mind…

Homura's wings faded as her foot touched down on the sheet of ice that covered the lake. It was as if a switch had been flipped: the maddening howls of the giants cut off in mid-word, leaving Kagami's ears ringing. More unnerved than ever, she muttered a quick "Thanks" to Homura and climbed down, hitching her equipment bag over her shoulder. Once the sole of her shoe touched ice, the chill shot straight up through her ankle and played up her spine as if she had stepped onto it with bare feet. A small cry escaped her as she shivered involuntarily, a cry that was swallowed up in the now deafening silence that had fallen over the Lair.

Warily, Homura moved to touch her shoulder. Her lips moved with a question, but the ringing in Kagami's ears blocked it out. "I-I'll be fine," she said, swallowing a few times and rubbing her arms again. "L-let's just go and-"

Her eyes caught something at her feet, and she looked down. Her stomach heaved… in the ice beneath her was a human face staring upward, pale as death and locked in mid-scream. Just a face… the rest of the body was decayed and withered away, little but a skeleton with dead grey flesh stretched thinly over its bones. Crystals glittered in the sockets where the eyes should have been and ran down its cheeks in thin streams.

Retching and clapping a hand to her mouth, Kagami stumbled backward into Homura. The body within the ice was not alone. As far as the eye could see, there were more bodies, countless numbers entombed below them, each with little but a silently screaming face left. Below these were even more corpses in the depths and shadows of the frozen lake, columns of them reaching down and down and down into infinity.

"There's nothing we can do," murmured Homura, holding Kagami's arm to keep her upright. Her voice was oddly strained. "We must keep going. We have to stop this madness and make sure they can't hurt anyone else."

"I can't take this," moaned Kagami, trying not to be sick. Being sick wouldn't help anyone right now, but she could see those horrible faces even with her eyes closed… "God, I can't-"

"Come on, Kagami." Homura's grip stayed firm. "For Tsukasa."

Shakily, Kagami nodded. "R-right. Tsukasa. For Tsukasa." She fixed Tsukasa's image in her mind, demanding herself to stay focused.

Carefully they made their way toward the spires in the lake's center, their footsteps crunching in the thin layer of frost and snow that dusted the glass-smooth sheet of ice. Nothing else moved, nothing else made a sound, and that silence and stillness possibly frightened Kagami more than the bodies, more than the giants, more than the Branded victims outside the Lair… _It _wants_ us to come_, she thought with terrible clarity. Out loud, she said, "This has got to be a trap…"

"I know," said Homura. "Keep your eyes ahead."

The spires when viewed up close were as thick as tree trunks, each one perfectly straight at its own angle, with gleaming edges that looked sharp as blades. They ranged from half Kagami's height at the base of the formation to one in the center that towered over the rest, well over ten meters high. In front of the structure, standing unnaturally still, there was a lone figure swathed in white robes, its pale skull flickering with squares of eerie light. As Kagami and Homura drew near, it turned around to face them.

_"You have come,"_ said the Ninth. Its voice was a multitude of voices speaking all at once, each individual one at a different pitch, from a high, screeching whine to a bone-chilling bass rumble, all blending together in a discordant, jarring effect, as if the pieces of the sound didn't quite fit together.

Kagami rummaged inside her bag and drew out her _bokken_. Mustering up all her courage, she faced the Demon with as hard an expression as she could give it. "You took my sister," she said, with only a slight quiver in her voice. "I want her _back._"

Beside her, Homura spread her hand and summoned her bow in a violet flash.

There was no emotion at all in the Demon's response, it was as cold and hard as the ice that filled its Lair. _"No."_

"I'm the one you want," said Kagami, feeling the first flickerings of rage heat up inside her. "I'm the one who has your Mother inside me, right? Let Tsukasa go. She's got nothing to do with this."

_"You are incorrect. The other focal point is critical." _The Demon slid to one side. Behind it, suspended in one of the icy spires, was Tsukasa, her body still mercifully intact and apparently unharmed. Her eyes were wide open, her face frozen in the same expression of despair from the night she was taken.

Kagami's heartbeat quickened. Gritting her teeth, she clutched the hilt of her sword and forced herself to stay in place. Losing control and running for her sister would be just what it wanted... _Remember what Ibuki-_sensei_ says: burning heart, cool head. Burning heart, cool head…_ "I'll say it one more time. Let. Tsukasa. _Go._"

_"The other will remain in stasis,"_ said the Ninth. _"There is nothing you can do."_

"Maybe," said Kagami, "but you can be damned sure we'll try. Homura, can you hit that thing without hurting her?"

"I believe so," said Homura, the picture of calm.

The Ninth raised one thin hand high and touched the other to the surface of the nearest spire. The distorted harmonics of its voice rose to a deafening bellow, and sound waves battered the two girls, threatening to blow them backward. The Demon's body melted like a wax candle, its white flesh running in rivulets. A pool of orange blood spread out beneath its discarded robes, almost instantly frosting over. The Lair rumbled, the lake shook, and the tallest spire in the structure split open. Facets unfolded from the broken spire in patterns of astounding complexity, for all the world resembling a piece of crystalline origami coming to life. Every part of it was ice, perfect and transparent and flawless ice cut with the precision of jewels. Terrifying yet also strangely beautiful, the body gradually took shape: a huge torso fused with the spire, a wasted chest with distended, bulging ribs, four grotesquely long, sinewy arms, grasping hands and multiple-jointed fingers tipped with scythe-like claws. A great pair of bare wings sprouted, the bones of which were shaped of crazed, warping, jagged geometries that didn't make sense, that made Kagami's head hurt just looking at them, trying to comprehend which angles went where and how they connected to the main body. The head was last to form, and it was a hideous, grinning, triple-faced skull, one face in front and one on either side. The eyes… they were six solid black spheres, pitiless and empty, utterly devoid of light or life, eyes that drained what little warmth there was from the air.

The Ninth pumped the freezing air with those impossible wings, flexed its claws, and roared its challenge to them, and the roar was like a thousand voices screaming in agony. The three grinning jaws opened, frigid clouds escaping from its mouths as it breathed.

"Homura…" Kagami whispered dryly over the echoes of the roar as its shadow loomed over them. Her voice was little more than a frightened croak. "Can… can we _beat_ that thing…?"

Homura stared up at it, directly into the dead black eyes. She remembered the Witches. She remembered Walpurgis Night. She remembered Vittoria and the countless Demons spawned from her during the war. She remembered the others of the Nine… and she discovered that only when she thought of Desideria was she truly afraid. The rest she could push down, as she always did. And Desideria? She still haunted her nightmares, but she was gone from the real world. This thing didn't scare her, she realized; she had survived far, far worse. "I'll stop it," she said to Kagami, clenching her hand into a fist. "_We'll_ stop it. I'll strike it from the air, while you try to free Tsukasa. When you're sure she's clear, start attacking the base of the structure."

"R-right!" Kagami nodded. Homura's confidence bolstered her own as well. "Ready when you are…"

"_Go!_"

Kagami dashed forward and Homura shot upward like a bullet, her space wings unfurling from her back. Before she had even finished her ascent, her hand was inside the pocketspace of her shield. Dispelling her bow for the moment, she drew an M136 rocket launcher from the pocket, primed it, passed it to her free hand… and then drew a second one for good measure. Shifting both to her underarms, she took a position over the Demon, gritted her teeth, and jabbed both firing buttons with her thumbs.

The recoil was like a kick from a horse and sent her tumbling several meters backward, but her aim was true: she heard the scream from below as the payload exploded on the Demon's shoulders. Attempting to right herself, she discarded the spent launchers and twisted around in an aileron roll as the first lancing beams of green light from the Ninth's fingertips cut through the smoke of the explosion and sizzled past her ear… she could feel the heat of the ionized air on her skin. The Ninth's wings tilted upward and flapped heavily… the resulting blast of arctic wind and snow threw her off her vector, and the storm of razor-sharp chips of ice that shortly followed cut deeply into her face, arms and legs. Shaking off the pain, she reached next for a pipe bomb, arming the detonator and sending it hurtling downward toward the root of one of the wings. Without waiting for the next explosion, she dove back into her stored arsenal, her fingers closing around another bomb…

* * *

><p>Kagami ducked and weaved as shrapnel and icy shards rained down around her. Homura was going all out… so she had to do her best as well. Dropping suddenly to one knee to dodge a stray cutting beam from one of the Demon's fingers, she quickly righted herself and resumed her charge. The small part of her mind that wasn't focused on saving Tsukasa or avoiding being hit recognized that with the Demon presumably in a fixed spot up there, the base of the spire structure should (<em>should<em>, she hoped desperately) be a relative blind spot… or at least, it would have trouble hitting her without injuring itself in the process. Closer and closer… another beam carved a groove in the surface of the lake, sending up a geyser of steam in front of her, but she waved it away. _Hang on, Tsukasa, I'm coming!_ _I'm coming!_ Another bomb went off somewhere above her, and there was a high-pitched cracking sound from one of the limbs. She swallowed and doubled her speed… if parts of this thing started falling off while she was underneath it, she would be in real trouble…

Finally she skidded to a stop… or attempted to, as the low friction of the ice sent her farther than she had anticipated. Kagami ended up slamming painfully into the spire instead of stopping in front of it. Its bitter coldness added to the shock of her impact, but it quickly served to numb some of the pain. Peeling herself away with some difficulty, she faced the wall of ice that held her sister, took a deep breath, and yelled at the top of her lungs: _"Tsukasa, wake up!"_

There was no response, not even a twitch.

"Come on, Tsukasa, please! It's me, it's Kagami, I'm here! If you can hear me, you have to wake up!" Kagami pounded on the wall for emphasis with her fist, and accomplished nothing but hurting her hand. Wincing, she fished into her equipment bag for her _bokken_. "Dammit, I'm gonna get you out of there…" She backed up a bit, gripped the hilt with both hands, and prayed silently: _Okay, whatever weird power I had last time, now would be a _really_ great time for it to show up again!_ _"MEN!"_ she screamed as she brought the blade down in a slash, and then another, and another, and another. _"MEN! MEN! MEN!"_ The weapon nicked the ice on the first blow, made a shallow cut on the second, did nothing at all on the third… but on the fourth, she felt _something_ rise up inside her, dispersing some of the Lair's chill. An invisible force erupted from the _bokken's_ edge to carve an inch-deep furrow in the wall. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

* * *

><p>In the air, Homura had switched to her store of guns. They were more accurate, and stood less chance of accidentally hitting Kagami while she worked to free Tsukasa. Trusting her partner to do her part, Homura unloaded a full clip from her Type 89 assault rifle at the Ninth's tripartite skull. She was causing it surface damage, she knew this much from the cracks and pits forming in the outer layers of the thing's body, but nothing she had was slowing it down, much less making it bleed. Perhaps if she could rupture the eyes?<p>

Her eyes wandered downward as she took a dive to avoid another lashing blizzard from the Demon's wings. The small shape standing at the foot of the spire and swinging valiantly away at it was Kagami… the sight gave her satisfaction. But then… there was something behind Kagami, an oddly shaded circular portion of the frozen lake, quickly growing larger and darker. Almost like a-

She realized what it was almost too late. _"KAGAMI…! KAGAMI, MOVE!"_

* * *

><p>"Huh?" Kagami heard the scream faintly from above. She looked up, confused… Homura was in a controlled dive, her wings tucked close to her body, wearing a panicked expression, yelling and pointing frantically downward. A blast from the Ninth's fingertips forced her to veer off suddenly, but she continued pointing down at the same spot…<p>

Kagami quickly looked down at her feet. At first she thought it was her shadow, but it was the wrong shape and much too dark. Sudden terror seized her, and more by instinct than anything else, she took a flying leap to her right.

The black thing that thrust violently upward from beneath the ice missed her by millimeters. A half-second later, and it would have skewered her straight through. Scrambling to regain her footing, her heart beat a staccato against her ribs as she made an ungainly sort of shimmy forward on her hands and knees. Another long, thin spear punched a hole through right behind her, and she redoubled her efforts to get up. _What the hell what the hell _is_ it oh God there's something in the lake there's something in the goddamned _lake… Finally, once she had half-run, half-slid what she hoped was a safe distance away, she stopped, woefully short of breath, and turned around… just in time to see the ice explode where she had been standing.

The geyser of water from below froze over again almost immediately, and was just as quickly shattered by the motions of the thing that had emerged from the breach. It was now thrashing violently, pulling up wet tendrils from the depths and using them to secure itself in place. At first Kagami thought it was a tree… but trees didn't have what appeared to be branches of bone sticking out of their trunks, and trees certainly didn't have _teeth_, much less golden curving fangs. With dawning disgust she realized that the creature wasn't a tree at all, but the head, neck, and yawning open mouth of an enormous black snake. Its bone-branches shook, scattering droplets of water, and all of the small round golden things on those branches that she had initially taken for berries swiveled at once… _and looked at her_.

Repulsed by it, Kagami took a step back to catch her breath and collect herself. Her heart still hammered frantically against her ribs… it had almost caught her off guard, she would have died (or possibly worse) then and there without Homura's warning… she couldn't make that mistake again, Tsukasa depended on her. Kagami faced the thing and brandished her weapon. Whatever it was, Demon or not, it now stood between her and her sister, and if it wanted a fight, she would be happy to oblige it. Howling another _kiai_, she charged…

The Eighth's trunk-like neck burst forth a flurry of twisting, gnarled roots and vines. They raced to meet Kagami, lashing at her face and arms, trying to catch her ankles and trip her. She laid about with her _bokken_, severing and slashing at anything that came near. The Demon's blood flowed and spattered everywhere, soaking through her jacket, but no matter how many she cut, more seemed to take their place. _Tsukasa. Think of Tsukasa_, she thought as she split one root after another in two. It was slowing her advance, but it couldn't stop her. Not when she was this close…

* * *

><p>Homura felt a piercing sting of guilt as she recognized the shape of the Eighth down below. She had let it go that night, she had been too weak to finish it off… and now if it hurt Kagami, it would be her fault. <em>Please stay safe, <em>she thought desperately as she threw aside another empty rifle. She had her own problems: her conventional weapons, if anything, were becoming less and less effective against the Ninth. Worse still, her wings were burning far too much power… already two of her Curse Seeds were expended. Somehow she had to damage it, buy Kagami more time…

With that, she summoned her bow again. If bombs and bullets wouldn't break through the Demon's frozen hide, perhaps arrows would. Notching a half-dozen at once, she mentally set the flight path for each: three for the Ninth, and three for the Eighth. That would at least give Kagami an opening, wouldn't it? The peak of her bow erupted into flame as she drew back and let them all fly.

The first volley struck the Ninth's neck and spine, the magical flames bore through the ice in clouds of vermillion steam. Its arms flailed wildly as it roared, its fingers blasting cutting beams in every direction. The second volley fell on the snake Demon, snapping through several of its bone-branches and incinerating dozens of its eyes. Seizing her chance, Homura dived low, in line with one of the Ninth's three faces, pulled back, and sent two arrows streaking into the Demon's empty black eyes. They burst in showers of gore that ran down the left face like tears… dodging a grasping claw, she arced over the head and fired twice more on the other side. This time the Ninth didn't bother to strike back… it clasped one set of hands to its side-faces and screamed and screamed…

_I can finish it,_ Homura thought. Hovering in front of its central face, she summoned another two arrows and let go, piercing the two remaining eyes. Now fully blinded, the Ninth raged impotently, clawing at the air in search of her. It was now or never.

One more shot, one final arrow, right through the skull. Her wings spread out wide. The burning shaft doubled, then tripled in size as she poured her remaining power into it. Homura whispered, _"Requiem-"_

The Ninth's two lower arms moved like lightning. The giant hands slammed together and closed around her, compressing her like a vise of freezing iron… Homura groaned in pain and dismay as she lost her focus, and her bow and arrow dissolved into particles of light. Her wings beat the air, curled back to caress the Demon's wrists. More steam erupted as their touch eroded its flesh. If she could get free, she might still be able to-

The upper arms moved. Saturated with blood, the second set of hands descended on her wings, grabbed hold of them between its fingers. Its flesh burned and boiled, melting away, but it somehow held on. Homura's mouth fell open in abject shock. _That's not possible. It shouldn't even be able to touch them, it can't-_

Then there was nothing but _pain_, searing, unbearable agony, as with a violent pulling motion it ripped off her wings as easily as a child tearing a piece of paper.

* * *

><p>Kagami stumbled and fell as she heard the scream. It took her half a second to recognize it as Homura's voice. She looked up… and saw Homura, barely visible in the grasp of the Ninth. Rivers of blood soaked through its clenched fingers, staining them crimson red and raining down a steady patter of bright warm droplets. Its upper set of hands still held the flickering remains of her wings, which were shriveling up and fading away like dreams.<p>

Kagami made a sound then, a horrible sound… it tore itself from her throat like the cry of an animal. As she climbed to her feet, a great scalding hatred rose up inside her, boiling in her veins, tinting her vision red. The shadows of black feathers began to unfurl from her back as she looked up at the Ninth, wanting nothing more than to make it suffer…

She was seized from behind as one of the Eighth's roots wrapped around her like a snake, pinned her arms to her sides and hauled her roughly back down to the ice. It squeezed, so tightly that she saw stars… her _bokken_ dropped from her hand as her grip slackened. _"Let me go, dammit! HOMURA! Homura, speak to me! HOMU-"_

More roots entwined around her, keeping her legs still as the one around her waist constricted so hard that the breath was driven from her lungs. Small, rough branches ran through her hair and grasped the back of her skull, tilting her head back… so that she couldn't help but watch as the Ninth took Homura in one hand and brought it down like the blow of a hammer, smashing her into the frozen surface of the lake with a sickening _crunch_, so hard that it left a shallow, blood-spattered crater in the ice.

_"NO!"_ Kagami screamed, thrashing in the grip of the roots, tearing her flesh against the gnarled bark. _"NO! No, no, no!"_

The Ninth's three mouths grinned as it raised her in its fist again, then slammed her down into the crater a second, then a third time, again and again, and each time there was more far more blood than the last…

Kagami fell silent as the Ninth finally let her drop, a broken, bloody doll that only made a small, quiet _thud_ as she hit the bottom of the crater.

_This can't be. Can't be happening. She can't be-_

A root pressed against the side of her neck. She gasped as it singed her flesh, and left a scorching circular mark that spread fire through her veins. The Demon's roots let her go all at once. Kagami stumbled roughly to her feet, her eyes locked on the crater, where a limp and red-stained hand dangled over the lip. She caught a flash of violet… Homura's Soul Gem was still intact. Somehow, she was still alive. If Kagami could only-

Her body twitched. She felt a terrible itching, burning sensation on her hands, her neck, her face… and without intending to, she knelt and picked up her _bokken_, then stood up again and took a shaky step forward.

_What's happening?_ she thought wildly. _What am I-_

_"It's all right,"_ said a deep, rich, honeyed voice behind her. It was the tree Demon, the Eighth. _"Go to her. Take your sword and go to her."_

Kagami tried to open her mouth to curse at the creature… and found she wasn't able. Her body took another step, and then another. Her hand closed tightly around the hilt. The realization hit her like a punch to the stomach: the root, the fiery mark on her neck. She had been Branded. It was controlling her body. _Oh God, no. Not this, no…_

_ "Yes,"_ said the voice of the Eighth. Its words seemed to sink into her flesh, bidding her onward against her will. _"You are going to take your weapon to Homura, and use it to shatter her Soul Gem."_

Her mind screamed in denial. Her body took another four steps. Kagami fought desperately inside, summoning all her willpower to resist, but inexorably her slow march continued. _Stop! Stop, please God! I can't do this, I _won't_ do this!_

Above her, the Ninth watched silently.

_Stop, please stop…!_ Her feet moved faster, picking up the pace. If she could only speak, shout some warning to Homura, tell her to move out of the way, but her throat was tight, her jaw clenched shut, her tongue glued to the floor of her mouth.

_"You cannot resist,"_ said the Eighth smoothly. _"Go forward. Kill her."_

_No!_ Raging against herself, Kagami threw everything she had into one frantic command: _STOP!_

Her foot paused in mid-step. She teetered, swaying back and forth.

Kagami breathed a mental sigh of relief. _Okay, that at least did something! All right, now turn back. Turn back, dammit, please…_

The mark on her neck flared, and more rivers of fire coursed through her body. _"Shatter her Soul Gem,"_ said the Eighth, more insistent than before. _"Do it."_

_I won't! I won't, I won't! God, please!_ But she was moving again, a little faster. She was almost to the lip of the crater now. She could just about see over it… _God, somebody, _anybody_, I beg you, please help me… Please don't make me kill her!_

And something down deep inside her answered: _Willing to accept help at last, are you?_

Kagami went cold. _No, not you. I won't listen to you, not ever!_

_Are you certain about that?_ hissed the dark, cold presence. Kagami could almost feel its arms embrace her. _Your situation is rather precarious, you know. All it would take is just a little bit of my power… just let me out, just for a moment…_

_ I won't_, thought Kagami. _No matter what happens, I won't release you! I won't let her fight be for nothing!_

_You're so stubborn, Kagami. You'll come to no good end…_ The presence began to laugh. The sound was like bones snapping.

Step by step, she was growing closer to Homura. Her heart thundered in her ears. Desperately she focused on stopping her feet once more. _Please, no. I don't want to see…_

She peered over the edge. Homura lay in a pool of blackening blood, her limbs at unnatural angles, her clothes dyed almost completely red. Her breath was faint and shallow. As Kagami drew near, her eyelids fluttered, and her lips parted… "_Ka…_"

Kagami stopped. Bit by bit, her free hand moved to the hilt of her _bokken_. Slowly she began to raise it up… The backs of her hands were covered in a layer of black shining scales.

Inside, she screamed, she bellowed, she cried, she threw herself against the walls of her mental prison. Nothing worked, the blade kept rising. Finally, abandoning everything else, she called out to the dark presence: _All right, all right! Help me, please! Help me…_

Her body paused. Silence fell.

_You're certain you want my help?_ The presence sounded faintly amused.

Kagami visualized herself bowing down before something cold and black and unfathomably vast. Ashamed, broken, weeping, she thought: _Yes. Help me, Vittoria. Please, I don't want to lose her, I can't… Oh God, Homura, forgive me…_

Seconds ticked by. She could hear them on her watch. _Tick, tick, tick…_

At last, the voice of Vittoria answered: _Mmm, I think not._

Kagami's mental voice exploded in terror and confusion. _What- but-_

_ You see, _said the dark presence, laughing to itself,_ if you kill your precious Homura, you'll fall into ultimate despair. When that happens, I'll be fully reborn… so why settle for only releasing a bit of my power now, when by waiting just a little longer I'll regain it all? I can be patient if need be._

Black rage consumed Kagami's heart. _Why… you…_ There were no words strong enough to express her hatred.

_I'll see you soon, Kagami, _said the presence cheerfully. _Very, very soon…_

And then it left, and Kagami screamed in the dark.

As if in slow motion, she watched the blade start to fall.

And then…

From behind her there was a blaze of heat and light. A deep, honeyed voice let out a burbling scream. Kagami's body spasmed as all the accumulated energy she had expended to fight the Eighth's influence was turned loose at once, and she fell to the ice in a twitching heap, gasping for breath. The black scales fell from her hands and turned to ash, and she could feel others falling from her face and neck. She could move on her own again, but barely… mystified, she tried to lift her head to see what had happened.

The Eighth was on fire. Its bone-branches writhed and blackened as it wailed in its death throes. There was a huge, flaming hole through its neck, a meter wide, and a long streak of vermillion blood on the ice beneath it. As Kagami watched, the Ninth pointed its clawed fingers and fired two more cutting beams that sliced through the snake Demon's body like knives, splitting it into pieces. The ghastly noise of the Eighth's death cry ceased abruptly.

Horrified and fascinated, Kagami did nothing but stare as the Eighth's body collapsed in on itself and burned away to cinders, leaving nothing but a Curse Seed behind.

Slowly and deliberately, the Ninth turned on its spire to face her. Four of its black eyes had regenerated, but two were filmed over and cloudy, still blind. _"You…"_ it rumbled, looming over both girls.

Kagami summoned all her strength, grasped Homura's hand, and held it tight. Swallowing, she looked into the pitiless black eyes. "Why…?" she whispered. "It… it was your _brother…_"

The Ninth's discordant voice was cold, but in a different way now… not like ice, but like the vacuum of space, as merciless and indifferent as those black eyes. _"It does not matter. Simply reviving Mother was never my intention,"_ it said. _"That would have been accomplished had the Eighth succeeded."_

Kagami shivered. She had come close, so close to killing her… and even more than that, close to giving in to the dark… "I… I don't understand…"

Drawing back one of its hands, the Ninth swept it over the base of the spires. One of its claws brushed against Tsukasa's icy tomb with a scraping sound. _"The other focal point. I placed her in stasis at her moment of greatest despair. She was about to birth another Demon… like the original Mother, equal in power, but… different. What I want… what I have _always_ wanted… was to release that Demon…"_

"But…" said Kagami, looking to where her sister hung frozen. "That doesn't make sense…"

_"Seeing the other focal point become a Demon will plunge _you_ into despair,"_ said the Ninth. _"You will birth the new Mother, and both Demons will battle… to the death."_

"You're…" Kagami's mouth had gone numb with horror. "Why on earth would you _want_ to-"

Something crept into its voice that was oddly wistful. _"Because everyone and everything is alone. Being alone is everything. There is no hope. There is no trust. There are no bonds of blood. I have known this since the moment of my creation, but I am the only one who sees this truth… I am burdened with it. I knew that if they lived, ultimately, the others of the Nine and even Mother would eventually betray me. So I will prove to all that is, was, and ever will be, that the only true thing in all the worlds is to be alone._

_ "If the reborn Mother and this new Demon, both born from focal points of the multiverse, were to battle, to kill each other… all realities would shatter. Every parallel universe would collapse. And every living thing would be pulled into its own empty fragment of reality, separate from all the others. All alone, all in nothingness. Forever."_

An image appeared in Kagami's mind: floating alone, not in darkness but in a void, an absence of everything. Nothing to see, hear, touch, or taste. She imagined being trapped there, with no hope of escape. And not just her, but Homura, Tsukasa, Konata, Miyuki, Inori, Matsuri, her mother and father, her friends, her classmates, the people of Saitama, of Japan, of the whole world… all cut off from each other. Each and every person in their own solitary Hell, for all eternity…

A great shiver passed through her exhausted body. "You're insane," she spat up at the Ninth with all the fury she could muster. "You're so insane that the word doesn't even cover it. I'll never let that happen, do you hear me?" She gripped Homura's hand tight. "_We'll_ never let that happen. We've come too far, struggled too much to let you win! We're gonna…" Wincing with pain, still keeping hold of Homura's hand, she forced herself to sit up. "We're gonna kick your ugly ass, the both of us, and then you'll see-"

She thought she was imagining it at first… she thought she felt a faint pressure on her hand. Then she felt it again, stronger, and knew it was real. Homura was stirring. Weakly, faintly, her hand squeezed Kagami's. Warmth flowed between them, building up inside…

_"Kagami,"_ breathed Homura, in barely a whisper.

"Homura…!" Tears sprung to her eyes. "God, I thought-"

"I'll be…" said Homura thickly, "… all right. Just need time… to heal. I'll fight…" Here she squeezed her hand again. "… with you."

Vile green light gathered at the Ninth's fingertips. Its grinning faces loomed closer. _"You will fail,"_ it said, _"and all will come to ruin. The stars above will fall."_

Kagami gathered her _bokken_ and stood up. Clutching the hilt with both hands, she took a stance in front of Homura, shielding her with her body, and narrowed her eyes. "You won't hurt her," she said calmly. "Never again."

The Ninth breathed clouds of freezing vapor. It was so close now that Kagami could see herself reflected in facets of the Demon's crystalline skull… she looked bloodied and half-dead, but she still stood tall…

One of her reflections looked right at her… and winked.

What happened next didn't make any sense at all.

Kagami's reflection crawled out of the facet that it occupied, twisted around, and plunged her hand shoulder-deep into the Ninth's skull. There was a geyser of vermillion blood. The Demon reared back, howling in mortal pain, but the reflection held on, stabbing the wound again and again and again. Finally, with a nauseating tearing sound, it ripped something free… and the Ninth began to collapse, its impossible wings falling apart, its four arms spiderwebbing with cracks, shards of its body falling down like rain. Blue flames spread outward from the hole in its skull, consuming its icy flesh from the inside out. The blood-stained reflection jumped clear, slid down the tallest spire, hopped easily between the glittering peaks of the others, and alighted on the surface of the lake with barely a sound. Behind her, what was left of the Ninth toppled off the structure. It dissolved before its corpse could hit the ice.

The reflection turned around to watch, and grinned. She opened her fist to reveal the Curse Seed she had torn from its body, then clutched it to her breast. Kagami heard what she said, but her brain refused to process it for a moment.

The reflection said, "You were right all along, brother. You can't trust anyone."

With a terrifying, familiar smile, Kagami's reflection turned back to her and said, "Hello, Kagami-chan. It's been a while."

Kagami fell backward, halfway into the crater. Dazedly she shook her head. What she was seeing was simply impossible. _Impossible_. But there was no mistaking the raw dread billowing in her core. "No," she whispered. "Not you… you're _dead._ I killed you myself. You're dead, you're _dead…_"

Homura lifted her head. She saw the other Kagami standing there covered in blood, and her veins filled with ice. Every rational thought fled her mind, replaced by sheer terror. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.

Desideria smiled with terrible calm. "So you thought. So _everyone_ thought. But what you killed in front of the station that night wasn't me."

Kagami's knees threatened to buckle beneath her from shock. "God, no." She didn't remember much of that part of the night, just the explosion of rage, and how close she had come to loosing Vittoria… but what she remembered clearly was the Curse Seed. She had picked it up, and she and Homura had watched as Kyubey swallowed it. That should have been the end… so _how…?_ "I killed you. I'm sure I did…!"

Desideria turned her back to them and casually walked to the spot where the Eighth's body had faded. "I actually have Homura-chan to thank for giving me the idea," she said as she stooped to retrieve its Curse Seed. "So thank you, Homura-chan. Your memories saved my life."

_This isn't real._ How Homura wanted to scream, but all she managed was a quiet moan. _This can't be real…_

"You see," said Desideria, "when I read you, Homura-chan, I gained your memories… _all_ your memories. So I know all about the Witches, the distortions that used to exist in your world. Something about them interested me… their Familiars. Apparently, if you allowed a Familiar to feed for long enough, it would grow into a copy of the Witch that it split off from. Isn't that interesting? I wondered why we Demons never did something like that…" She shrugged. "Probably because most of us are too stupid to try, or because we keep our Spawn too close to ourselves. But _I_ tried… I let one of my Spawn feed to its heart's content. And it worked… it took some waiting, but eventually it grew into a perfect copy. I let it read my memories, taught it everything it needed to know… and when the time was right, I let it replace me. I hid myself away, and waited.

"So that poor creature that you tore apart that night, Kagami-chan?" Her eyes sparkled. "That was my Spawn, my faithful copy… loyal to the end."

Kagami's stomach dropped. It made sense, a horrific sort of sense. "But why-"

"It was your fault." Desideria's voice fell to a low and threatening whisper. "That night when we first met, the night you hurt me and escaped from my Lair… that was when I lost everything. Because I had spent so much time with you, with your sister, with _humans_, because I hurt so badly, I did it without thinking… My brother, the Ninth, he looked so troubled, so alone, and I… I touched his hand, read his mind. And suddenly, I…" Here she began to tremble. "I knew _everything_. How he didn't trust us, planned to betray and kill us all. How he only wanted Mother back so that she would die..." Her tone grew bitter and cold as midwinter. "All that we ever had was our mission and each other. All of us were willing to die for it, if it meant we would succeed. And my brother… never cared. Never believed in us, or the mission, or Mother, or anything. Can you imagine, Kagami-chan, learning that the purpose of your life, your entire existence, was a lie…?" Slowly, menacingly, she started back toward the crater, clutching both Curse Seeds tightly, so tightly that their spindles pierced her palms. "You made me hurt, you made me lose everything. So it's only fitting… that I do the same to you."

Kagami gritted her teeth and gripped the hilt of her _bokken_ tightly. "Stay back. I'm warning you… I killed you once before, I'll do it again!"

Homura tried to lift her arm. The bone was still shattered, hadn't had time to regrow yet. "Kagami, run, please, run…"

"Like hell," said Kagami. "I swore that night that I'd never let her hurt you again…"

"You really _are_ stupid, Kagami-chan," hissed Desideria. She opened her hands… the Curse Seeds were now half-embedded in her flesh. As Kagami watched, they sank in completely. "Still protecting that _thing_ even after knowing what she's done? Did you know that she fired the shot that killed Mother…? A year and a half too late, true, but…"

"Shut it," Kagami growled. "Your mind games won't work anymore. I said _stay back._"

"She's responsible for the deaths of _billions_." The light in Desideria's eyes flickered madly as she advanced. "Even more if you count the other timelines she destroyed, all for one person… for _her._ For what she calls 'love'… I'll show you, Kagami-chan. I'll show you how facile her _love_ really is."

"As if you'd know," Kagami spat, raising her weapon. "As if you'd ever understa-"

_Crack._ Desideria backhanded her across the cheek, and her feet left the ground, she went flying… when she hit the ice a moment later, she felt something sprain badly, heard a loud and painful _snap_. Her shoulder, maybe, or one of her ribs. It didn't matter. As her body skidded to a stop, she pushed the pain away, scrambled to her feet, grabbed her _bokken_…

Her _bokken_. Half its blade was gone, sheared off from the fall.

"Don't worry, Kagami-chan," said Desideria, lowering herself over Homura's helpless form. "I'm not going to make the same mistake as I did last time. _This_ time, she won't come back."

"Don't you _dare…!_" Screw her broken weapon, she would-

Desideria waved a hand. A wintery blast spread from her fingers and enveloped Kagami's legs. Her skin burned, then went horribly numb… she lost her balance and fell painfully back down, her legs encased from her knees down in thick, heavy sheets of ice. Cursing, she scrabbled madly at the surface of the frozen lake with her fingernails, trying to find purchase. "_Homura!_ Hang on, just hang on, I'm coming!"

Violet flashes and crackles of light streaked from Homura's Soul Gem. All the magic she had left that wasn't being used to heal herself was put behind those bolts of power, puncturing steaming holes in the Demon's body. The old nightmare was rising inside her again… the terror, the violation, the _fingers_. She couldn't let it happen, not again. Not again.

Desideria grinned. The power bolts were little more than annoyances to her. Though she still burned with loathing for her late brother, she had to grudgingly admire his handiwork. To put the mighty Puella Magi in such a state…

_"Homura!"_ Kagami screamed, dragging herself forward inch by inch. _"HOMURA!"_

A strangled moan escaped Homura's lips as the Demon gently caressed her cheek. One chance, she had one more chance. Newly healed muscles tore as she _forced_ her arm to move, and fumbled inside her shield for a weapon, _any_ weapon. Her deadened fingers closed on the grip of her faithful old Beretta. Focusing all her power on her arm, she pulled it free, aimed the weapon, and fired, putting a bullet through Desideria's skull.

Blood oozed down the Demon's forehead in thin trails. "Now, really," said Desideria with a malevolent smile. "Did you honestly think that would work?"

"_Don't you touch her!_" Kagami's throat was raw and red from screaming. She had to do something, had to stop it. In her helplessness, tears sprung to her eyes. Dragging herself another inch across the ice scraped her stomach. "_Goddamn you, get away from her, you bitch…!"_

Homura's arm gave out. It and the gun dropped harmlessly at her side. Nearly insane with dread for what was coming, she fixed Kagami with her gaze as the Demon turned her left hand over. "Kagami," she said, her voice thick with fear. "Kagami, I want you to know-"

Delicately, as if handling something poisonous, Desideria lifted Homura's Soul Gem out of its setting on the back of her hand. She stood, cradling it, admiring its glow.

Homura's vision blurred with tears. "I love you, Kagami," she said desperately with her final breath. "I'll always love-"

There was an oddly pleasant musical sound as ice crystals grew over the amethyst gem, sealing it inside a glittering prism.

Homura's eyes went dark.

Kagami screamed, long and loud, a scream of ultimate loss.

"And that's that," said Desideria cheerfully. She gave Homura's body a savage kick, then lightly stepped out of the crater with her treasure. "Don't worry, Kagami-chan, I'll keep it safe." With that, she tilted her head back, unhinged her jaw like a snake, and extended a long, wet tongue which wrapped around the prism and slowly pulled it into her mouth. A faint bulge appeared in her throat; she swallowed, and it was gone.

Weeping brokenly, Kagami beat at the ice uselessly with her fists. _No_, she thought. _No, this isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't-_

"I _love_ that expression on your face, Kagami-chan…" The Demon shivered with delight. "But please, don't lose your mind yet. You still need to suffer more…"

"You _bitch_," Kagami repeated hollowly, over and over under her breath. "You _bitch_, you _bitch_, you heartless _bitch…_"

Desideria shifted. Her pigtails shrank and her figure slimmed. Now she was Tsukasa, looking at Kagami with a wounded expression. "_Onee-chan_, language…!"

Blackness brewed inside Kagami, ugly, roiling blackness. "I'll kill you," she whispered. "I swear, if it's the last thing I ever do, I'll kill you… I'll make you pay…"

"Really, you humans…" said the Demon with a sigh as she changed herself back to Kagami's shape. "It's your own fault, you know, letting yourselves get so close to others when they'll inevitably hurt you, or leave you." Her face split into an obscene grin. "You let her get closer than most, didn't you? I saw it in your memories… How was it? It was your first time, right? She made you come… but did it bother you that she wasn't, ah, _pure_? That I took her first?"

A shadowy black aura enveloped Kagami's form. Her eyes burned hot and bright. The ice that covered her legs began to crack.

"Ah, ah, ah…" Desideria wagged her finger back and forth, as if chastising a naughty child. "You're not thinking of releasing Mother, are you? Homura-chan wouldn't have liked that. Besides, I don't _want_ Mother to be reborn. Not anymore."

Those words somehow pierced through the darkness clouding Kagami's heart. "You…"

"That's right." Walking past her, the Demon made her way back to the spires where the Ninth had fallen. "If you let Mother out, you'll die, and then you can't suffer anymore. We can't have that. So I'll tell you just what's going to happen to you, so you can start looking forward to it…" Stopping in front of Tsukasa's spire, Desideria spread her arms. "I'm going to absorb you. Make you part of me. It's only natural, right? I was a part of _you_, so it's only fair… I'll connect you to my every thought, every action. I'll keep you nice and safe and warm inside me, and when your body and mine are one, when you can feel everything that I do and everything that I am… that's when I'll start to kill.

"I'll kill your family first. _Slowly_. Then Konata-chan, and Miyuki-chan, too. Your friends at school, and your teachers. I'll feed off all of their Hearts until they're nothing but withered husks, and then I'll slaughter them. Everyone you know, everyone you've ever met. I'll drain them _dry_, Kagami-chan. And I won't stop there…

"I'll keep growing, more and more powerful, feeding off humans and absorbing other Demons. I'll surpass my brothers, and even Mother. I'll become something _greater_ than just a Demon." Her voice rose, trembling with madness and joy. "I'll ascend, higher and higher, and when I'm strong enough?" The worst, most obscene grin yet spread across her face. "I'll kill _her._"

Kagami's insides froze. The heat of her aura died away completely.

"Oh yes, I know about _her_, and what _she_ became." Desideria chuckled. "I have Homura-chan's memories, remember? I know _she_ still exists, somewhere on the upper planes... I'll find _her_. Wherever _she_ is. And when I kill _her…_?" Her voice dropped suddenly, reverently. "When _she_ dies, all hope dies with her. Everywhere. In every universe, every timeline. I'm going to make sure you stay alive and sane long enough for that, Kagami-chan. I want you to _feel_ it as we kill hope itself, with our own hands. Until that happens… you'll suffer. _Oh,_ you'll suffer…"

Desideria's body bulged, bloated, swelled like a balloon. Finally, it burst, and inside was a writhing mass of tongues and eyes, coiled around crystals of ice and branches of bone. The tongues were not red and vibrant like the last time. Now they were dead, grey, rotting away from the inside. The dead flesh crawled over the spire that held Tsukasa, ingested it, began to slither over the rest of the structure. An immense pillar began to form, a pillar of diseased flesh. Higher and higher it grew, swallowing the structure of spires entirely. A mass of grey, intertwined tendrils began to spread out from the base like a carpet…

Kagami heaved. Her muscles strained, burned with agony as she pulled herself toward the crater. The blocks of ice encasing her legs were too heavy, weighing her down… in frustration she raised one frozen leg, ignoring her body's howling protest at the action, and brought it down hard on the other…

Success. Both blocks shattered. With them gone, she picked herself up. Her knees were wobbly and her balance was poor, but it was enough. Tearing up, she hobbled to the crater where Homura's body lay, and took her in her arms.

Except for her darkened eyes, Homura might have been sleeping. But her flesh was already growing cold. The warmth was leaving her.

"Homura," she whispered, holding her tight, as if she could force her own heat back into her, to bring her back. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

The encroaching tide of dead tongues grew ever nearer.

Kagami turned her back to it and threw herself atop Homura. If nothing else, she could still shield her from this.

The tide seized her, enveloped her legs. She held on to Homura as it crawled up her thighs and over her back… nauseating, slithering, dead tendrils of flesh. She willed herself not to scream.

The Demon spoke, in a voice like a high keening wind. _"Oh, why not?"_ she said. _"I'll absorb that corpse as well. Perhaps it'll keep you company while you're inside… until it rots…_"

Cold, wet, suffocating. Crushing her on all sides. No light. Like the inside of the Third's stomach, but a thousand times worse. Still Kagami held on to Homura. This was the only thing she could do, the only thing left.

The tendrils came between them. Kagami felt them grasping, pulling.

_No._

They were seizing her arms. They were trying to break her grip.

_No._

Little by little, Homura slipped from her grasp. Falling away.

_No!_

Struggling to move her hand, she gave a great heave and ripped it briefly free of the mass. With every ounce of effort she had, she grasped Homura's hand, entwined the cold fingers with her own. Touching her one last time.

Then she was torn away.

All was darkness.

**END OF CHAPTER 28**


	29. Chapter 29: You Have Nothing

_***Author's Note: Thanks once again to my readers for their patience, and for helping me out with my decision to split the last part of the story into multiple chapters. For once, I can promise this: WITHOUT FAIL, the next chapter is coming within the next two or three days at the very most. Your wait will not be in vain! - BHS***_

**CHAPTER 29: You Have Nothing**

**Izumi Household, Satte**

"This is _terrible_," moaned Konata in frustration as she paced back and forth.

Kyubey watched her with interest from his perch on the shelf. Her footsteps were wearing a neatly symmetrical pattern in the carpet.

"What am I supposed to do?!" she shrieked, taking great fistfuls of her hair. "Kagamin and Akemi-san are out there somewhere, and I can't…" Violently she seized a pillow from her bed and drove her fist into it, punctuating each word with another blow. "… can't… do… _anything_…"

_Even if you knew where they were, what would you do?_ Kyubey asked.

Konata punched the pillow a few more times, then threw it aside. "I don't _know_," she admitted, her shoulders sagging. "I'm not a Puella Magi like Akemi-san or a… whatever Kagamin is, with her wings and stuff. I can't fight Demons, but if I could just _be_ there…"

Kyubey tilted his head. _I don't quite understand your logic. If you could be there… then what?_

"Then they wouldn't be alone, at least..." said Konata, dropping her gaze to the floor. It was weak reasoning, and she knew it. Damn it, but she felt useless...

The Incubator felt something. Not a human emotion… he recognized what a disaster that would be, should it ever happen. It was, more accurately, a _lack_ of feeling, a sensation that had been a constant for so long, that he had grown so used to, that it took him a few moments to register that it was gone. He turned toward the window that looked out over Satte.

"What is it?" said Konata, noting the motion. "Is something wrong?"

Kyubey's mind spun through a rapid sequence of calculations and probabilities. Assuming that his data was accurate, assuming he was interpreting it correctly, and discounting the possibilities that it could be some sort of interference, or a disruption in his sensory system… If what he suspected was indeed what had happened, then his priorities were now reordered. The contingency plan was now fully in effect. If he had been human, he would have shuddered.

"Kyubey…?" Konata's voice was very small.

There was now no reason to suppress the truth. _I can no longer feel Homura Akemi's Soul Gem_, he said.

Konata's face drained of all color. "No. Th-that can't be… Akemi-san, no..."

_Based on all available evidence, I must conclude that Homura is dead_, said Kyubey. He closed his eyes.

Barely realizing what she was doing, Konata took hold of the pillow she had tossed aside and held it tightly to her chest. An icy chill had cut through the warmth of the summer night and settled over her, numbing her with cold... "I-if she's…" The concept was too horrible to contemplate. "... d-dead… that means… K-Kagamin is… all alone. By herself. No one to protect her…"

_Not necessarily._ Kyubey blinked and immediately ran a self-diagnosis. That was… odd. He had not intended to speak. The words had "slipped out", as the humans would say. Microseconds later, the results of the diagnostic indicated that he was functioning at optimal parameters and peak efficiency. So assuming that he was indeed fully functional, and that his outburst had not been some sign of impending catastrophic biological system failure, why had he spoken?

Konata's eyes glistened as she looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

_This is merely a conjecture_, he said, tilting his head to the side again. _I have no empirical data on this subject, only the word of Homura Akemi. Even so, she only directly addressed the subject with me once, over two years ago from our perspective._ He stopped and searched his memory for the conversation. _According to Homura, our world was once very different. Demons did not exist. In their place, there existed creatures called 'Witches', born from despair. Incubators and Puellae Magi interacted far differently than they do now, propagating a system by which energy was gathered from 'Witches' when they hatched, for the purpose of counteracting entropy. Homura explained this system to me, but did not explain how she knew of this, or whatever happened to these 'Witches'. While the concept was fascinating, without any proof to support it, I was forced to conclude that she may have been delusional._

_However… _Here he paused. _Some time later, shortly after the emergence of Vittoria, one of Homura's comrades, a Puella Magi named Mami Tomoe, died as the result of a Demon feeding upon her. Her surviving partner, Kyoko Sakura, had apparently been forced to kill Mami to end her suffering, and she was now emotionally distraught, her Soul Gem highly corrupted from despair. It was late one night, and the two of them, Homura and Kyoko, were alone together…_

_They did not know I was present in the room, listening to them. For a long while, I heard nothing of particular interest. Kyoko's emotions were in turmoil, and her behavior was highly irrational… Homura attempted to reason with her, to no avail. Kyoko attempted violent action against both herself and Homura, and as the tension between them escalated, I decided to take my leave. I felt it would be inconvenient if my current body were wounded or killed during Kyoko's outburst._

Konata hugged the pillow tight and leaned forward on her bed. She didn't quite understand the part about "current body", but still she listened, fascinated.

Kyubey paused again. _As I said, I was prepared to leave the premises, but then… something very unusual occurred, which gave me pause. Acting quite in opposition to her typical behavior, Homura… she took Kyoko into her arms, despite the danger to her person. She held Kyoko still, and began to speak of something I had never heard before…_

The tone of his voice shifted, ever so slightly. His words became just a hair softer, almost... reverent, in his own way. _She began by reciting the creed, the prayer that every Puella Magi somehow learns upon making their contract. This in and of itself was not unusual, but when she finished, she then offered an explanation as to where this prayer originated. This explanation made no sense to me… Homura spoke of a Puella Magi unknown to anyone, one that had changed all of existence… she called this person, and I quote, 'the greatest of us all'. This person, apparently, had made the most powerful wish in all of history, a wish responsible for establishing the Law of Cycles, and for erasing the creatures she called 'Witches' from the universe. She said that this person became… more than human, the concept of hope itself. A higher being, far beyond any Puella Magi that ever existed or ever _would _exist… But the cost of this person's momentous wish was to exist outside of normal time and space forever, forgotten by all._

_However, Homura claimed, this person was not _gone_, but rather, ever-present… always watching, existing everywhere and nowhere at once. She claimed that _she _is there whenever a new Puella Magi's contract is made, teaching them the words of the prayer. _She _is one who kept, keeps, and will keep eternal watch over every Puella Magi, in every universe, throughout all of time. And that at the end of their lives, whenever one begins to fade, _she _will descend and take them away…_

Konata shivered with something that wasn't quite cold. Something about Kyubey's story made the fine hair rise on the back of her neck. "Take them away to _where…?_"

_Onward,_ said Kyubey. _Homura offered no concrete explanation, but seemed to imply that Mami Tomoe was now with _her_, likewise watching over Kyoko and all other Puellae Magi. I was unable to tell if she believed the story or not, but Kyoko did seem to take some measure of comfort in that… she ceased struggling and soon fell asleep._

"You're saying…" Konata crossed her arms and pondered, turning it over in her mind. "You're saying that… that _she_… is like… God?"

_I have at best a tenuous grasp on the intricacies of individual human belief systems, but assuming I am interpreting your meaning correctly, I suppose you could say that, yes. This person, if _she _truly does exist, would have to be a metaphysical being of unfathomable power. By extension, with that sort of power _she _could certainly be omnipresent throughout time, space, and the planes of reality. So therefore, if not "God" _per se_, then at least something similar._

"And that means that _she_…" Konata looked out the window, over her familiar little town that now felt somehow _different_ than it had minutes before. "_She_ could be out there, watching over everyone? Over Kagamin, too…?"

_Omnipresence would suggest so, yes._

Placing a hand on the window pane, Konata spread her fingers. "And what about… what about me?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>

Miyuki stared wide-eyed in shock at the little white creature. As he spoke to her, he had gradually moved closer and closer, and now he sat on her lap.

"If… if Akemi-san really is…" She swallowed past the hard lump in her throat. "… gone… who's going to help Kagami-san? And what about Tsukasa-san?"

Kyubey closed his eyes. _Without Homura, I see little chance of survival for either of them_.

"No…" Miyuki shook her head, beginning to tear up. "There's got to be something you can do, there's got to be some way to help them fight back…!"

_This was a possibility that Homura anticipated_, said Kyubey. _She knew that she might not survive, so she made a provision to allow me… _us… _to operate freely in this region, if, and _only _if, the worst should happen to her._

"I don't understand…"

_Do you truly love Tsukasa?_

"I…" Miyuki trailed off. The thought of being with Tsukasa again was sweet and golden as honey, warming her from the inside like a ray of sunlight. Tsukasa made smile, made her laugh, made ordinary days special… and though she would never dare to voice her feelings, sometimes the thought of Tsukasa as someone closer than a friend appealed to her more than anything else in the world.

But… The burning sickness of guilt and shame rose in her belly. The monster that had stolen her form had twisted and diseased her love, corrupted it into something dark and ugly. It had poisoned her with doubt, haunting her dreams and whispering in her ears at night. Because of what the monster had done, because of what damage her hidden feelings had wrought, Miyuki knew she could never, _ever_ be with Tsukasa, not in that way.

But... she and Kagami were in danger. If she loved them, how could she do anything but come to their aid? What kind of friend would she be if she just sat here in bed? For four months, she had been cursed with stasis and inaction… now wasn't the time for more lying around, it was time to _move_, time to get up and _do_ something! They needed her…!

But... Miyuki couldn't face them. Confessing herself to Kagami and Konata had been grueling enough. Confronting Tsukasa, and admitting that all of this was in some way her fault… acknowledging that would take far more courage than Miyuki possessed. What if Tsukasa was angry with her, as she had every right to be? What if their friendship could never be repaired? What if… what if she never wanted to see her again?

And even if by some miracle Tsukasa forgave her, there were still the monsters, the things called Demons that lurked in the edges of mirrors and clawed at her from the bottom of her nightmares. She was so terribly, deathly afraid that if she ever crossed paths with them again, they would somehow pull her back into her prison in the glass, and this time she would never escape… she would be alone and paralyzed in the void again, this time forever. The freedom of the past few weeks would become nothing more than an illusion, a momentary flicker in the endless black. She was so afraid...

But they _needed_ her.

But she was so afraid…

But they _needed_ her...

The two sides warred within Miyuki until she thought she would tear in two. She clutched her hands to her temples, pressed down hard on her skin as if to keep her skull from splitting. Fat droplets spattered on the lenses of her glasses as she slumped forward on the bed. To act on love or fear… What to do? What _could_ she do? Everything was spinning out of control, nothing made sense… She thought she might be sick, or maybe she might just curl up into nothing and disappear from the world…

By her side, Kyubey watched and waited. He could offer her no comfort, only the choice, when she was ready to make it.

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

Kagami's eyelids fluttered. It was an effort even to do that much… her consciousness struggled to reassert itself and clear away the persistent haze that clouded her mind. That haze seemed to press heavily down on her as she fought against it, not just on her body but on her soul, deadening her senses. It was so hard to wake up… it would be so much easier just to go back to sleep, sleep forever…

A weak violet spark filtered through her eyelids. The tiny jab of pain made her cringe… she made as if to move her hand to rub her eyes, but found herself unable. "Nnng…" she groaned dully through numb lips. "What…"

The faint violet glow came from somewhere several feet below her. It was the only source of light, everywhere else was dark and dank and cold… Blearily she focused on the light, trying to use it as an anchor point to pull herself back to reality. What was it even _doing_ there, anyway? It didn't look like any light bulb Kagami had ever seen, it was the wrong color and shape. A shape within a larger shape, enclosed in some sort of transparent crystal, glowing from within. More like a diamond than anything… but most diamonds were white or clear, weren't they? It was deep purple, actually, more of an amethyst _shaped_ like a-

Her consciousness slammed back into the fore as if it had been blindsided by a runaway car. Adrenaline thundered through her veins as she pulled hard to break free of whatever it was that bound her arms… and her legs, too, she quickly discovered; she was apparently held spread-eagled. She could feel her fingers and toes flexing within the- within the _whatever_ it was- but everything below her elbows and knees felt… smothered, weighed down by something soft, but unspeakably strong and heavy. Still, she pulled and struggled and strained her muscles, keeping her eyes locked on that faint light, flat-out _refusing_ to let Desideria-

"_Mmm, you're awaaaake~..."_ The voice purred from every direction the moment she thought of her name. It was impossible to tell where exactly it was coming from; it seemed to have multiple sources, as if spoken by dozens of different mouths at once, all slightly out of sync. The tones of the Demon's voice were different from before, no longer an imitation of someone else or the high-pitched keening sigh of her second stage… the voice (voices?) warped and cracked with feedback, distorting at random, extending some syllables while contracting others. It reminded Kagami of the whispers of long-dead voices from old phonograph recordings, and a chill ran up and down her spine at the thought.

"_I can feel you squiiirming inside me, Kagami-chaaan~," _moaned Desideria's voice, dripping with obscene bliss. "_Dooon't stop… do it, do it mooore…"_

Bile rose in Kagami's throat at the thought of doing anything that might give this monster any sort of sick pleasure, but she couldn't stop moving, she _couldn't_, not now! Homura's Soul Gem was down there, frozen in the ice but still miraculously intact… if she could only somehow get it back! If only she could reach... She pulled until she thought her muscles would tear, but her arms and legs refused to slip loose of their restraints. Beads of sweat formed on her brow with the effort, cooling quickly in the dank air. "Come on, come _on…_"

"_Now nooow, Kagamiii-chan," _whispered the voice. Something moist stroked Kagami's cheek in the darkness, making her cringe. "_You're _really _stiiill trying to fight? Haven't you realized that iiit's pointless yet?"_

"It's not pointless," Kagami hissed through tightly clenched teeth. "The only thing that's pointless is listening to _you_…"

One part of Desideria's voice giggled like a small child. Then another part laughed in the wheezing rasp of an old man, another in the musical cadence of a woman in full flower… The voices tumbled and rolled over each other, all laughing, never quite in harmony with one another…

Harsh, unnatural light flooded the small space, the source of it unclear. Kagami's stomach churned… when the green spots faded from her vision, she saw that her limbs were entombed, half-buried in a glistening wall of dead grey flesh, closed around her knees and elbows with circular, toothless mouths clamped tightly to her skin. The Soul Gem lay below her, still trapped in the block of crystalline ice, tantalizingly close and yet so far from her reach that it might as well have been on the other side of a vast canyon. _Canyon..._ there was that odd flicker in her mind again, but it was gone the moment she noticed it.

In the wall directly opposite her was-

"_Homura,"_ whispered Kagami, choking back a sob. The Puella Magi was bound similarly to herself, her limbs and lower body swallowed by the dead wall. Her skin had taken on an unhealthy pallor, and her empty eyes still stared vacantly ahead, sightless… she was so close that Kagami could see her own reflection in them.

Desperately Kagami flexed her fingers within the wall's visceral confines. It was like cold raw meat inside; the sensation turned her stomach. But if she could just touch Homura again, if she could only break free and get her Soul Gem back-

"_You won't, you won't,"_ chuckled the Demon's voice. "_I hear juuust what you're thinking. You're exactly wheeere I want you, Kagami-chan. Safffe and helplessss inside me, as part of me..."_

"Not yet…!" she snarled, beyond repulsed at the idea. She wouldn't let herself become part of this monster, she would rather die than let that happen…! "Just hold on, Homura, I'm coming. I'm coming..."

The laughter bubbled up again. "_Faace it, Kagami-chan. You can't save her, you neever could," _said Desideria, her words taking on a sharp-edged, metallic tone. "_She's _dead_. She's been dead all along… Right now, in front of you, you're seeing her as she truly is for the first time: a corpse. Hooow long will you cling to this delusion that she's alive, hmm? How long? Will you giiive up when she starts to rot…? When the worms eeat away that prettty face of hers? Or will you stiiill talk to her when even her bones are nothing but dust? Becaause I'll keep you aliiive until then, Kagami-chan. I'll keep you alive, so you can watch it aaallll..."_

Kagami's eyes began to sting and blur with wetness. Struggling was accomplishing nothing but wearing her out. She was not a millimeter closer to Homura than before. Was it pointless after all? "Homura…"

The chamber echoed with a joyful sigh, and the walls quivered. "_That's it… thaaat's the kind of despair I want… but I need moooore… Hmmm, but how can I feed on your Heart like I want, without waking Motheeer? Problems, prooblems…"_

Kagami bit her lip as she felt herself break out in a cold sweat. _Stay calm, Kagami. Stay calm._

Silence fell. The pause drew out until it was ready to snap, and then…

"_Ah. I know."_

Behind Kagami, something emerged from the wall, casting a faint shadow over her. No limbs, just a thick, vaguely snake-like body... a huge tube, or a-

The blood froze in Kagami's veins, and her pupils shrank to pinpricks. _No. Please, no._

The... _appendage_ (to think of it as anything else was to lose her mind to terror)... laid itself on her back, along the path of her spine, the moisture on its slick surface seeping through her clothes to her skin. It grew, extended, hitching small roots of itself into the fabric of her jacket for support. Inch by inch, it advanced past her collar and up her bare neck… the touch of its soft, clammy skin on hers forced a disgusted moan from her lips. _Oh God, no,_ she howled inside. _Not this-_

A buried memory: at least a year ago, maybe more, in one of her most ill-advised attempts to shock her and get on her nerves, Konata had shown Kagami a few pages of a certain manga as a joke… an explicit manga. One which contained… something much like this. Kagami had thought it was the furthest thing possible from funny, and nearly ended her friendship with Konata then and there. Only after Konata made a sincere and increasingly desperate series of apologies did she agree to even speak to her again.

Konata thought she had merely been angry, but the truth was... what she had seen on those pages terrified her to her core, frightened and disturbed her more than anything ever had, until the Demons appeared. It was a stupid, pointless, impossible fear, but it terrified her nonetheless. She would never admit such to Konata or anyone else, but for weeks afterward she had had awful nightmares about the _things_ she had seen in those pages, nightmares that made her wake up swallowing a scream, soaked with icy sweat, her heart pounding like a bass drum. In those weeks, she had dreaded the night far more than she had as a small child, dreaded the dreams where she was completely helpless, just like this, knowing exactly what was about to happen but being unable to stop it… She thought she had repressed those nightmares, that they were safely forgotten, but this… this was just like what she saw on the nights she had come to dread. Desideria _knew_ it, she was deliberately preying on every aspect of that primal fear-

"_Don't wooorry, Kagami-chan,"_ sang Desideria's voice, pealing with delight. "_You'll get yourrr proper turn for _that _soon enough, but this… this will ooonly hurt a little bit at firssst..."_

Redoubling her struggles, Kagami thrashed her head back and forth, pulled hard to try to loosen the mouths holding her in place. Small, thin tendrils crawled through her hair, over her scalp, around her ears and from underneath her chin to rest themselves against her face… she couldn't see them, but she could _feel_ them, wet and slimy like worms, and likewise she _felt_ rather than saw the bulk of the thing behind her as it opened its own yawning, toothless mouth, drooling hot and sticky fluid down her neck and shoulder… her skin crawled like mad...

_Don't scream. Don't scream, it's what she wants. Don't give her the satisfaction of-_

… and-

Taking Kagami utterly by surprise, the appendage's mouth clamped onto the back of her skull like a lamprey. The gasp of shock was barely past her lips when it drew tight, and-... and then she _did_ scream, with two voices rather than one, as burning cold blood coursed through her body and her eyes lit up with white light. Holding on tightly despite her frantic thrashing, the appendage made a nauseating, drawn-out slurping sound as it fed, suckling on her, leeching something out…

Every nerve in Kagami's body blazed with searing fire. Every cell shrieked in anguish. Nothing should have felt like this, nothing should have been able to cause this much pain… What few coherent thoughts she was able to form were a litany of denial: _oh God oh God no get it off get it OFF make it stop please make it stop it hurts what's it doing what the hell is it DOING…_ She was being torn apart, piece by infinitesimal piece, down to the molecular level. She lost all sense of time, of where and when she was, everything but the urge to scream more than she thought possible. The torment went on and on and _on_, she thought she would surely lose her mind-

Over the throes of agony, she felt something start to tear. Little by little, it was tugged this way and that, separating from her a little more with each motion. As it came loose, Kagami's scream and Kagami's voice subsided, while the _other_ scream, the _other_ voice, only grew louder, eventually drowning the girl out entirely… it was an inhuman sound coming out of her now, a monstrous sound. The mouth of the appendage pressed even more tightly against her skull, drew in hard, and Kagami swore she heard something like a great sheet of fabric being ripped in half as part of her stayed behind, and part of her tore loose, locked in the mouth's grip.

The agony peaked, and then gradually subceded as an odd calm settled upon her, and with it came a blessed numbness. She barely felt the appendage peel away from her back, clutching its prize. Heaving for breath, pale and ill with shock, Kagami's rational mind came to a sobering, quiet realization: _I guess she decided to kill me after all. Whatever that was, it had to have been fatal…_

_Damn it._

_I'm sorry, Homura._

_I'm sorry, Tsukasa._

_I'm sorry, Konata._

_I'm sorry, Miyuki._

_I'm sorry, everyone… I just wasn't strong enough…_

Kagami closed her eyes and waited to feel the first streams of blood from the mortal wound trickle down her neck and shoulder.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Awareness dawned slowly… there was no blood. She was still alive. She hurt like _hell_, she could tell that even through the numbness, but she was still alive. So what in God's name had Desideria just done to her? Weakly, she craned her neck backward to look up…

Caught in the grip of the appendage's mouth was a squirming, violent, angry black mass, like an animate, formless blob of crude oil. It shrieked and bellowed and lashed at its captor with extensions of itself, but it couldn't break free. As Kagami watched in fascinated horror, the appendage's tendrils wrapped around the black thing in a loving embrace, compressing it. Fighting back harder than ever, the thing let out a screech that was like a nail scraping up and down Kagami's spine as the mouth stretched grotesquely, opening impossibly wide-

And in a heartbeat, the black thing was gone, nothing more than a wriggling bulge inside the appendage's bulk. It retracted back into the fleshy wall behind Kagami, its shape melting away like it had never been there.

Bewildered, Kagami tried to form words. "Wh… what-"

Desideria's voice made a sound of satisfaction. "_That's that. Nothiiing more to worry about. So much foor the great Vittoria… what a pity, she could have been maaagnificent."_

Kagami felt her insides shrink down to half their normal size. "That… that was…"

"_Indeed," _said Desideria with a sigh. "_You're _free_, Kaaagami-chan. She's gone now. She's not a paaart of you anymore. But don't fret… she'll give her exissstence to serve a greater purpose: strengthening meee…"_

The voice grew cold and curt. "_Goodbye, Mother."_

From somewhere within the wall, Kagami heard an awful sound, a horrific wet _crunch._ Then, silence fell on the chamber again.

She sagged in her restraints. The numbness was fading… the pain was coming back. Pain, and icy coils of fear, both permeating her at once. The full horror of what Desideria had just done was dawning on her. Without Vittoria-

"_That's riiight,"_ cooed Desideria. "_With Mother gone, you haaave no power to fight back, and nothing to keeep you from succumbing to complete despair. You have nothing leffft to help you, nothing left to live for… You have _nothing_. Your friends, your family, your preeecious Homura-chan, even Mother… all gone from you. They'll never eeeven know what happened to you. All you have is me… Sooon, very soon, you and I will be one and the same. You'll be part of myyy body, feel everything I feel, think everything I think, see eeeverything I see. We'll be a monster to end all monsters. We'll grow stronger with everyone we kill, everything we absooorb, and then we'll kill _her_, and then… even hope itself will have abandoned you."_

The words were like freezing velvet wrapping around her, sapping her of the will to fight. She knew they were lies, she _knew_ that she shouldn't listen, but within those lies were slivers of the truth that made the lies hurt all the more… She hurt so much, and she was so tired...

"_So telll me, Kagami Hiiragi… how does it feel? This is the moooment, the moment that the stars above begin to fall. All is coming to ruin. You're all alone. How does it feel?"_

Kagami closed her eyes. A few shining tears fell from her lashes as she went limp.

* * *

><p>There was a blackness inside her, waiting. She stood on its precipice, teetering on the edge of the void.<p>

It would be so easy to simply fall in. To lose herself in it. Let the blackness swallow her whole. Easier, right? Far easier than keeping some feeble spark of hope alive, only to be forced to watch the Demon crush it without mercy. And now, without Vittoria inside her, there was no reason to fear losing herself… if she fell into the void, there would be no disaster because of her. All the worlds would be rent apart, but it would no longer be her fault. It would be horrible beyond description, but she would be absolved of guilt. No one could blame her. She had tried her best, after all… her best just wasn't good enough. With no weapons, no powers, no allies coming to her aid, it truly was the end. It would be easier just to surrender now. Stop fighting. Surrender, and sink quietly away…

But behind her…

Behind her was a small, nagging thought. A possibility, barely visible, like a tiny candle in the dark, but somehow it held her back, made her pause.

_What have the last few months brought?_ it seemed to ask. Pain, certainly. Hardship. Secrets and lies. Tears. Terrors beyond imagining. Death. Despair.

But also… strength within herself that she never knew was there. Battles hard-fought, but won anyway. Sides of her friends and family that she had never seen. An appreciation for her life that she had never had before, back when it was plain and ordinary.

Before Homura.

The possibility strained against the darkness.

Homura… being with Homura had been frightening, maddening, and heart-wrenching, yes, but also… sweet. Warm. Filled with feelings of a completely different kind than with anyone else she knew. Homura understood her like no one else, like not even Tsukasa could. Homura fascinated her endlessly. Homura kept going, despite the burden of more suffering than one person could ever endure, inspiring Kagami to try to do the same.

Homura was the one she loved.

And Homura loved her in return.

If there was any way, any way in heaven or on earth that she could see the one she loved one more time, fight another battle alongside the one who loved her, even if it was to the bitter end… then she would have to seize that chance.

Her Soul Gem was still intact, after all. Frozen, but intact. If she could only reach it.

Kagami took a breath and stepped away from the blackness, turning her back on it. Stepping toward the tiny, glimmering possibility, she pictured herself putting her hands on her heart. Reaching down deep inside, past the pain, past the fear, for the purest core of her emotions, for the strongest feeling she had left.

Love.

She felt it there, shining and golden and strong, more beautiful, more mysterious, and more terrible than she could comprehend. And not just for Homura, either. There was love for Tsukasa… in a different way, a familial way, but unmistakably still love. There was love for Inori and Matsuri, and her mother and father. There was love for Konata and Miyuki, her best friends. Love for her hometown and her school. Love for the world, strange and flawed and sometimes frightening as it might be, but still good overall. Still worth fighting for, though it might be hard, though it might even be impossible.

It was enough.

And with all her might, she took hold of the love that was in her Heart, and prayed to anyone that could hear for just one more chance. One shot. One burst of power…

She had it.

* * *

><p>Kagami's eyes flew open.<p>

And the Demon screamed as a shockwave ripped through her innards…

Kagami dropped from the shredded remains of her bonds in an ungainly fashion, and lay sprawled on the heaving floor of the chamber where she landed. Her body _burned_ inside, still aching terribly from the release of power and from whatever process Desideria had used to extract Vittoria from her. But though it made her muscles cry for mercy, she inched her way forward, her hands slipping on the damp and slimy viscera, struggling to find purchase. The chamber of dead flesh rumbled violently, and the walls oozed vermillion blood that twisted and distorted the space around it until it cooled into something black and thick like tar. Still Kagami crawled on, her fingers reaching desperately. Just a few more inches. The prism containing Homura's Soul Gem was _right there_ in front of her. Her fingertip brushed against its surface, its chill sinking into her bones. So close…

The walls of the chamber tore themselves apart, releasing Homura's body to fall to the floor nearby. Lashing, branch-like tendrils ripped free in showers of blood, writhing like maddened snakes. One after another they piled onto Kagami, constricting tight, crushing her beneath their weight. Her outstretched fingers spasmed… she couldn't breathe… they were going to drag her back, away from the prism…

_Homura!_

With a sizzling sound, the acrid stench of burning flesh filled the small chamber. Kagami stood shakily amid the ashes of the charred tendrils, the shadows of black-feathered wings more sharply defined than ever upon her back. Thinking of Homura with every step, she limped to the Soul Gem, sank to her knees, and clutched it to her breast. Funny, its icy shell didn't feel quite so cold now…

"Homura," Kagami whispered, keeping the gem at her heart with one hand and reaching for other girl's motionless hand with the other. "It's gonna be okay. No matter what, I'm with you now. You remember, right? _You are not alone._"

For all the world like a scene out of the ending of a fairy tale, she closed her eyes, brought the gem in its prison to her lips, and gently kissed it…

* * *

><p>Desideria screamed again, louder than ever. A series of explosions tore open her ponderous, ever-shifting body… there was blood everywhere, so much blood... She had thought pain would be insignificant to her now, but she had been wrong, wrong, wrong, there was pain and so much <em>blood<em>… And her scream grew livid and enraged as the two figures burst through the wall of what until moments ago had been equivalent to her stomach, hand in hand. The Demon roared her fury, and the heavens trembled.

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

The moment they touched the solid temple grounds… not flesh, but real soil and stone, at last… both girls trembled and collapsed in a heap. They both _hurt_… Kagami shuddered as the shadows of her wings flickered and faded out, but she couldn't help smiling, though that hurt too. Every part of her ached, and she was filthy, covered in blood and ash and other things she didn't even want to think about. Homura was still a blood-soaked, half-broken, bedraggled mess from her prior injuries. They both looked and felt like hell, but at least they were free. At least they were together. Whatever happened now, there was that much.

It was enough.

With a strenuous effort, Kagami squeezed Homura's hand. "Welcome back…" Her smile trembled. "Don't ever s-scare me like that again, dummy…"

"I'm sorry," whispered Homura, squeezing hers in return. She didn't know what else to say. Back there, when her Soul Gem was taken, with no way out to be found, she had been prepared for her existence to end in void and terror and nothingness, and now… now, once again, she had been given another chance. She was grateful to Kagami for that chance, grateful beyond words… but not surprised that she had somehow done it. Not surprised at all. "Th-thank you. I'm sorry…"

Flopping over onto their backs, they looked up above them… and felt their breath stolen away as they beheld the thing that Desideria had become in silent awe and terror.

It wasn't a living being or an object. Either of those would have been preferable, or at least understandable. What it was was an _absence_… a gaping wound in the world, a rift in space and time, as if the air were a page and something had torn through it. Jagged and festering, it spilled over with a ghostly light that would have disfigured hell, its innards made of rot and decay, bleeding vermillion and black in dozens of places. They saw things move inside the rift that made no sense to human minds, that hurt to try to comprehend. Shapes with impossible geometries, melting into each other and reforming in ever more complex patterns, like an Escher painting come to hideous life. Wriggling fingers attached to nothing… or attached to _themselves_. Pulsating tumors turning themselves inside out and blooming like flowers as they bled randomly, contorting into grotesque and nightmarish shapes. Desideria was no longer just a Demon, but an affront to existence, a thing that simply _should not be._ And as they watched, the rift breathed, moaned, stretched the confines of itself… and around the edges of its being, a threadwork of fractures spread through the air, like the lines made when a hammer cracked ice.

Repulsed and horrified, feeling like she would go mad just looking at the rift, Kagami tried and failed to get up. "We've gotta stop her somehow… She's… she's breaking _space…_"

Homura did likewise, only managing to climb to one knee for a moment. "I'll do it. You can't even stand."

"Don't be an idiot, neither can you."

"Kagami…"

"L-look," Kagami swallowed heavily. "I don't think… that _either_ of us has much strength left right now. You're still healing, and I'm wiped out from both whatever it is I did back there, and when she ripped Vittoria out of me-"

Homura's eyes went wide. "She _what?!_"

"_That's riiight."_ The voice came from the rift above them, more distorted than ever, but the way it seethed with unbridled hatred was unmistakable. Desideria spoke like a mad, rabid beast barely held under control, on the cusp of losing its mind. "_I absorbed Mother. Aaaall her power is withiiin me, becoming paaart of me…"_ The rift slid in and out of focus, its fractures spreading further. "_I will be what she waas, and what she couuld have been. I can see iit all now… Time. Space. Reality. Matter. Everything. I aaam the Last of the Nine. I am... _your end_."_

**END OF CHAPTER 29**


	30. Chapter 30: Teach Me How to Fly

**CHAPTER 30: Teach Me How to Fly**

**Hikawa Shrine, Omiya**

Icy chills traveled up and down Kagami's spine… chills from far more than the steadily dropping temperature of the air. The horror in the sky, the thing that Desideria had become… it was something alien, something _other_, beyond her capacity to describe. A monster could be dealt with. A physical threat she could hit, could do something about. But _this… _though she hated to admit it, she had no idea how to even _fight_ this thing, much less kill it, or if it could _be_ killed.

Damned if she wasn't going to at least give it a shot, though. "We've gotta stop her," she repeated. Her voice sounded so small to herself, small and hollow. "Here and now, before she can finish absorbing Vittoria. Before she gets any stronger…"

Homura hung her head. The same thoughts had raced through her mind upon laying eyes on the rift… a feeling of desperate frustration, of helplessness in the presence of a far superior enemy. Even Vittoria, as hideously powerful as she had been, had been bound by the constraints of a physical form. Now it seemed Desideria had exceeded even _that_ small weakness. And for this Demon, there were no armies of Puellae Magi to fight against it, no reinforcements to fall back on… it was just herself and Kagami, two half-dead girls against an almost fathomless monstrosity. "I don't think there's enough power left in either of us."

Wincing, Kagami pulled herself upright. "Even so… we'll try. Because…" And here she grinned wickedly, with a confidence she didn't feel at all. "... b-because I'm damned sure I didn't save your ass and crawl out of her guts with you just to lie down and die here…"

Homura couldn't help but chuckle softly as she put an arm around Kagami's shoulder. "Can you help me stand?"

"I th-think so." Kagami nodded.

Slowly they staggered to their feet, supporting each other, their knees threatening to buckle under their weight, facing the horror above with their hands entwined. The wind began to howl.

Kagami shivered in the cold. Fear gnawed ferociously at the pit of her belly, but there was also a strange sense of calm inside her… a sense that one way or the other, the end was nearing. She opened her mouth to speak…

… and Homura stole the words she had been about to say. "I love you."

"I love you," said Kagami, holding her partner's hand tight.

"Always?"

"Always. Forever."

The voice from the rift exploded, losing what semblance of rationality it had left. "_Filthy, stupid animals…! You can't seee… you can't see how pointless it all is…! It's all a lie… I can see… I'll _maaake _you see…"_

And the inside of the rift bubbled and swelled and turned loose a hurricane of deadly power that blew down upon the two girls. The maelstrom was upon them in an instant, swallowing them whole and lifting them high off the ground. Inside it, shrieking dagger-like shards of glass bit into them, drawing blood, and _faces_… the inside of the hurricane was filled with disembodied faces emerging from the vortex. Still they held onto each other, as the faces began to speak in a cacophony of pained voices…

_pointless_

_never_

_blood_

_please kill me_

_home_

_hell_

_no no noooooo_

_singing_

_help me_

Faces swarmed around them, _through_ them, as the winds ripped and screamed and pulled the two in opposite directions. The storm was trying to separate them, bit by bit… little by little, it loosened their grips on each other's hands. It picked up speed, growing more powerful by the second, pulling, tugging, jostling, raining shards upon them… Each called out the other's name, only to have their voices snatched away by the winds. And-

In an eyeblink, they were torn apart. Caught in an opposing spiral, Kagami flailed her aching limbs, trying to "swim" toward the rapidly receding dark shape that was Homura. And as she swam, the faces pounced.

She felt them press against her, cold and deadly. Phantom limbs encircled her, pawed roughly at her body, dragged her back, and the faces' voices slithered into her ears, sank into her mind like liquid silver.

"_It's all a lie,"_ they hissed at her in unison, and the words seared her mind like acid. "_Homura doesn't love you. She loves a shadow… an echo of the Kagami of her world. She only thinks she has feelings for you because she failed to save her own Kagami, just like she failed to save _her_. All it is is guilt. It's not real. Even if you both survive, what will you be? Merely _her _replacement… a _replacement _of a replacement. It's all you'll ever be…"_

Homura shouted her defiance to the storm as Kagami was blown away from her. Not again… _never_ again. Buffeted and tossed like a rag doll, she _demanded_ her tired, half-broken body to heal itself faster, to give her her strength back, even as she tore her wounds open further trying to crawl toward her partner.

The faces piled upon her too. The phantom arms and hands seized her, weighing her down, keeping her locked within the spiral. And they spoke…

"_You're lying to yourself. You can't have _her _and Kagami both,"_ the faces said. "_You know it, and you know that you'll never be satisfied with just one of them. Haven't you realized by now? You always want what you can't have, _shouldn't _have. Acting on your feelings, your desires, has always doomed you. Your very presence destroys what you claim to care about the most. You're a poison upon the worlds. All that you touch withers and decays. It's your destiny to be alone… the multiverse _wants _you suffer. It's the only way anything can survive..."_

"No." Kagami couldn't hear herself over the storm, but she said it anyway. "_No!_ Her feelings… and _my_ feelings… those aren't lies! _You're_ the lie!" She reached out her hand for Homura's tiny shape in the distance, growing smaller by the second. Glass shards bit into her like fangs, her arm was soaked with blood, but if she could just reach a little further… "No matter what…" she shouted, feeling inside herself for the power that let her escape before, "... no matter what you say, no matter what you do to _either_ of us, I'll never believe your lies again! Do you hear me?!" Her voice rose with fury. "_I swore that if you ever hurt her again, I'd kill you... and I damn well will!"_

"_Kagami…!_" cried Homura, throwing herself against the spiral, reaching for her. "You're wrong," she said to the faces, to the Demon. "You've always been wrong... It's because of my feelings that I'm still fighting! Even if it's my destiny to suffer, I'll never stop… I'll never stop caring about _either_ of them! They're the ones that saved me, the ones that fought for me, time and time again… So I swear that I'll fight for them in return! Even if it means the end of me, or the end of the world, _I swear that I will protect them both!_"

Inexorably, impossibly, the two crawled nearer to each other, fighting the storm that should have ripped them to shreds. Drifting inch by inch, closer together…

Homura's eyes stung with tears that the wind whipped away. "My destiny doesn't matter," she whispered. "My suffering doesn't matter. All that matters… is that I love her."

And Kagami bellowed with all her breath, all her defiance, all her Heart, choking back her own tears as her eyes filled with stars, "No matter what happens, _I love her!_"

A spark.

A crash of thunder.

A brilliant flash of light.

The hurricane of dark power was ripped apart by a blinding pillar of radiance, reaching miles into the sky, splitting the clouds…

* * *

><p><strong>Izumi Household, Satte<strong>

Konata pressed herself against the glass as if she could pass through it, her face bathed in the unearthly glow of the great pillar of light from the southwest. She had heard the ear-splitting crash of thunder even from miles away, and was drawn to her window by the light like a moth to a flame. The pillar was so beautiful... like the beam of a lighthouse, but a thousand times brighter, and instead of circling around, it went up and up and _up…_ "What's _happening_ out there…?" she whispered in awe.

_I sense a space-time distortion on an unprecedented scale,_ said Kyubey, the pillar reflecting in his round red eyes. _This distortion has the energy signature of a Demon, or rather, _several _Demons, somehow… but apart from that, what data I'm able to gather from this distance makes very little sense. The number of distinct signatures I'm reading should be impossible, and that pillar...it's not corresponding to the fundamental laws of physics, or any magic that we've observed before. In short, to answer your question…_ He paused and tilted his head. _At this point, I have no idea._

* * *

><p><strong>Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>

Likewise, Miyuki had climbed from her bed and dragged her IV and its stand over to her window. Kyubey perched next to her on the sill. It was hard to tell, but she thought he might be as fascinated by the line of light from the north as she was.

"Is that where-" she began, adjusting her glasses.

_Yes,_ said Kyubey. _Fascinating. If my data is correct, the space-time distortion that I'm detecting has some kind of relation to the visual phenomenon we're witnessing, but the pillar's energy seems to be something completely _other_.An opposing force, if you will._

Miyuki tore her eyes away to look at the little creature. "Could that mean… Kagami-san and Akemi-san are still-?"

_Short of traveling there to observe it for ourselves, an action which I strongly recommend against, there's no way of knowing for certain. However…_

Miyuki raised her eyebrows in anticipation.

Kyubey closed his eyes. _Pardon me for a moment. _After a few seconds silence, he said, _Ah. After conferring with my other selves, we may now have reached a workable hypothesis._

"'Other selves', _what_ other..." Miyuki's head began to swim. "Never mind, just tell me, please!"

_I suggest that you sit down…_

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

As the light gradually faded and Homura's vision cleared, she did something she had not done in a long, long time: she gaped in open-mouthed astonishment.

In front of her, her arms thrown out wide, Kagami Hiiragi was _changed_. Transformed. Surrounded by a nimbus of holy light, she floated an inch off the ground, perhaps held aloft by the giant, black-feathered wings that sprouted from her back, wings that glittered and shone with a thousand pinpricks of starlight. Her clothing was brilliant white, accented with madder red… for a moment Homura thought she had somehow put her miko robes back on, but no, these robes were stylized, shorter at the sleeves, legs, and hems, seemingly modified for easier movement. And on her left hand, on her third finger, there was a strange new golden ring, set with a gleaming, pearl-white jewel in the shape of a star. A tiny heart sat at the jewel's center, such a bright shade of red that the color seemed to pulse outward from the shape, as if the heart was beating…

Hesitantly, Homura dared to speak. "Kagami…?"

The spell of silence was broken. Kagami's aura disappeared as she dropped to the ground, shaking her head. "What the _hell_…" she muttered, moving to put a hand to her forehead. She caught sight of the ring, of her new robes, and looked down at herself. Her wings flexed a few times, scattering stardust to the wind. "Where did these clothes come from…?" Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Am I a-"

Homura came forward to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Kagami, are you all right?" A sudden fear dropped a lead weight in her stomach. Transformed, she had _transformed_. That meant - "You… you didn't just-"

"No," Kagami shook her head. It was clear from the tone of Homura's voice what she meant, what she feared had happened. "It wasn't a wish that did this, I'm positive it wasn't… I never even made one. This… whatever this is... is something new." She flexed her fingers, testing them… and then made a fist. "I think…" she began. Then, with more confidence, she turned to face her partner, newborn stars burning in her eyes. "I think I'm _more_ than just all right. I feel… warm." She put a hand on her chest. There was heat inside her, a blazing source of strength, greater than pain, stronger than anything. "_Powerful_. Like I'm a new person. Like I'm ready…" Here she grinned, almost giddy with newfound power. "... ready to send that ugly thing back to Hell where she belongs…"

Just touching her, just being in her presence, Homura felt her own power returning. It was more than psychological, she could actually feel her wounds healing a little bit faster. Her heart pounded. A magical girl… Kagami was a magical girl, but _not_ a Puella Magi. Something new… something _different._ Something that could give them both the strength to fight again. Part of her was terrified… and part of her was elated. Still, she had to ask, "_How?_"

"Magic," said Kagami. "A miracle. Maybe both. It can't have been much else, right? I mean, seriously, I've got _wings!_" She shook them again, surprised at how light and responsively they moved at but a thought.

"Your wings are beautiful..." The words were out of Homura's mouth before she could stop herself. She promptly shut it tight and turned very pink.

Kagami almost laughed at the expression on her face, but then-

The horror in the sky broke its stupefied silence and shrieked down at them. "_Impossible!" _Desideria's voice shook the temple and its grounds with her rage and disbelief. _How?!_ How could she have done it?! This mere _human_, who should have been dead, broken, or lost to despair a dozen times over, had not only survived, not only escaped the storm with her partner, but now had become stronger than ever, against impossible odds. Desideria could _feel_ that strength, like a small, constant burning away of her being from the girl's presence alone... "Impossible! _I took Vittoria… I _took _your power!"_

"Not all of it," said Kagami, clenching her fist. Energy coursed through her body like a mountain river, wild and untapped. Somehow, she understood… her love, her Heart, was giving her power now. Power that she could shape. Power that she could use… Closing her eyes and concentrating, she directed some of that energy to her fist, picturing what she wanted, refining its design in her mind. It came as naturally to her as tying a shoelace, as if she had been doing this for years, as if she was _born_ to do it…

A ball of light rose from the center of the jewel atop her ring, stretching and resolving itself into a solid weight that materialized in her hand. She opened her eyes… and just as she had imagined, there it was: a katana, perfectly balanced, easy enough to wield with one hand, or both, should she desire. The handguard was a golden circle, and the blade was an elegant, razor-sharp piece of solid black steel, not the terrifying or empty black color of a void, but a darkness that was warm and comforting, like the night _should_ be. Kagami tested the sword's weight, swung it experimentally a few times to get the feel of it. It whispered as it cut the air… it was perfect for her. And she already had a name for it, a name that she breathed softly as she looked back at Homura and smiled, feeling love swelling within her breast, filling her with ever more strength… "_Kurokami_," she said, and before the name had left her lips, it had carved itself into the sword's black blade in fine threads of golden kanji. "Its name is Kurokami... 'black hair'. I think it's... fitting."

"Kagami," said Homura, abashed and flustered, "I-I'm flattered, truly, but… but you shouldn't name it after me, not when I've failed you so badly, so many times…"

"Never," said Kagami, reaching out to touch her cheek with her free hand. "You've _never_ failed me. Not even once. We're both still here, aren't we? And besides…" Grinning again, unable to help herself, she turned the sword so that Homura could see the kanji on the blade. "It's a little too late to change it now."

Homura sighed and leaned into her touch. "And I thought only Konata could look that smug…"

"Well, there's a certain satisfaction in getting your own way when you were clearly right in the first place," said Kagami brightly. She flapped her wings, scattering more dust behind her as she offered her hand to the other girl. "Now, come on. Teach me how to fly."

Homura took her hand in hers, felt the heat shared between their bodies, slowly healing her body and her mind… and a soft, plaintive cry escaped her lips as her own wings emerged and spread out wide. They hurt, just as they had the first time she had used them, but it made a certain kind of sense that they hurt… they were being reborn. And this time, it was a _good_ pain, to have her wings back, to be able to fly again, this time with a person that she loved…

The two lifted off, their wings beating the air. Together they ascended, a bit hesitantly as Kagami got used to controlling her own… but by the time the Demon above them spewed down an enormous, raging fireball at them, they were rising from the flames, _above_ the flames, like a pair of phoenixes.

* * *

><p>Desideria screamed. She screamed with all of her boundless hatred for the two of them, for the brothers she had lost and the brother that had betrayed her, for the Mother that had created her, for <em>her<em> silent interference, for life itself. That incalculable hatred churned and boiled, infested every atom of her monstrous being like a virulent disease. She had come too far, much too far to be thwarted by mere humans now! No matter what was happening, no matter what power Kagami Hiiragi now possessed, she would see to it that she and Homura Akemi both would suffer. _Oh_, they would suffer…!

* * *

><p>Comet trails lit up behind Kagami and Homura as they split off from each other, crisscrossing in the sky. The rift and the fractures around it tilted crazily on an axis, trying to keep them in sight as it spewed forth a wild cloud of thousands of fiery, venomous green bullets, trying to hit something, <em>anything<em>…

The wind blew Kagami's pigtails all over, her eyes streamed from it whipping against her face, she could barely hear anything over its roaring in her ears… and it was _wonderful_, an impossible childhood dream finally realized. Flying, really flying…! She wanted to laugh, to spiral through the air, to-

_Kagami, focus!_ snapped Homura's voice in her mind as a hail of sizzling bullets came within an inch of puncturing her right arm, singeing holes through one of the wide sleeves of her robes.

"S-Sorry," she stammered, though Homura was much too far away to hear. There was time to enjoy flying later, assuming they lived through this… Righting herself, she hovered in place, trying to determine the best place to attack the rift. Even with powers, just how exactly did one _hurt_ a big hole in the sky, anyway? Sure, she had seen it bleed, and of course it had organs of some sort inside, but if she got too close to it...

"Oh, screw it," she said to herself, hefting her sword. "You can do something to her, right, Kurokami? I'm counting on y- _kya~!_"

She drew back, startled. The rift was staring right at her… how it could see her with no eyes, she didn't know, but she could _feel_ its gaze, hot and malevolent, the ghostly light from inside splaying over her body. Hovering there had given it enough time to get a bead on her, and now it released another volley of toxic green bullets, streaking up at her like a swarm of angry hornets at the speed of sound, there was no time to dodge-

_Opposing forces,_ said a memory that sprung to the forefront of her mind, a voice cold and clinical as a surgeon's knife. _I believe your powers repel and reject magic…_

_Repel,_ thought Kagami desperately, holding Kurokami out in front of her. _Please, repel!_ She shut her eyes tight and braced for impact…

The storm of bullets hammered a wall of solid air and came to a halt less than an inch from Kagami's body, straining mightily to pass through. The initial blow rattled her down to her bones, threatening her grip on Kurokami, but she held on tight to the hilt, gritting her teeth so hard she was afraid they might crack. _Okay, they're _stopped, _that's good, _she thought, directing all her focus to the wall, commanding it to _push_ back on them. _Now… REPEL…!_

Hundreds of bullets reversed course, shrieking back the way they had come. They flew into the jagged open mouth of the rift and burst in noxious green clouds. Desideria howled in mad rage, bleeding more than ever, writhing and twisting as heat and her own poison coursed through her.

"That's right," shouted Kagami, swelling with confidence. So she _could_ be hurt… "That's right! Hurts, doesn't it? And that's just for starters!"

The sound of the Demon's howling was skin-crawling, like something grating on her spine, but Homura smiled darkly anyway. She _wasn't_ invincible, not yet. Whatever power Kagami had unlocked had finally inflicted some damage… she was bleeding more profusely than ever. _And if she bleeds_, thought Homura, notching multiple arrows to her bowstring and aiming them at the spots where the bullets had detonated, _even if it's just a little… we can eventually take her down._ The arrows flew true as she loosed them, blazing lines of violet light until they pierced their targets, charring the dead flesh inside the rift black.

Just as before, it came as naturally to Kagami as if it were something she had been doing for years. She _knew_ what movements to make, she _knew_ to raise her sword high, channel its power into the blade, and bring it down in a ferocious overhead slice while shouting a _kiai_, but it still shocked her when she felt something draw out of her body and erupt from Kurokami's edge, throwing her back a meter just from the recoil... It was a curving sliver of dark energy that shone from within with starlight, a piece of the night sky that could have been taken from one of Homura's wings. Yet though it looked like it contained the night, it burned hot as morning sunfire... It swooped down on Desideria like a falcon diving for its prey, and carved a ten meter swath in her innards as it struck. Twisting gouts of black blood accompanied the Demon's ear-splitting shriek of pain…

Kagami stared, awed… and just a little frightened of herself. _I did it. _I _did that… _

* * *

><p>Desideria spasmed, moaned, expelled clotted blood and shredded, burnt flesh from the rift's opening, and turned a smoldering glare up at the white shape with the black starry wings high above her. Fine. <em>Fine<em>. So this was the way it was going to be? _Fine!_ Kagami Hiiragi didn't _need_ to be absorbed anymore. There was another way of dealing with her kind, a simple way…

* * *

><p>Pumping her wings a bit harder to stay aloft, Kagami slowly recovered from her shock, redoubling her grip on Kurokami's hilt. She could tell by the bolts of violet light in the distance that Homura was still fighting with everything she had. How could Kagami do any less? It was beyond stupid to just float here and gape… So her sword could apparently fire some sort of energy projectile, so what? It was like an early <em>Zelda<em> game, that was all. And as for all the blood… all it took to justify inflicting that much harm on this creature was remembering just what she had done, and what she intended to do should she win here. That was more than enough to regain her conviction. She raised Kurokami high for another strike…

The rift spewed forth a massive cloud of black smoke. Moving with unnatural speed, the smoke cloud floated up to Kagami's level. Once more she threw her focus into creating a barrier… _Repel!_ she thought, trusting it to keep out the smoke, or whatever it was, as well as it had the bullets. The cloud surrounded her, held back by the outlines of a hazy sphere that its vaporous fingers gently pushed against. Kagami held her sword at bay, preparing to dive down out of the cloud the moment it attacked, ready for anything-

"_Onee-chan!_"

- anything except that. Tsukasa was there within the cloud, mere inches away from her, bizarrely out of place in her ordinary, candy-striped shirt and jean overalls, her hands clutched at her chest, pure terror in her eyes. "_Onee-chan_," she pleaded, reaching for Kagami with a trembling hand. "Please, help me! Help me… It's so cold, and I can't move… she's hurting me, _onee-chan, _she's hurting me!"

Kagami's heart plummeted. _Tsukasa._

_Oh dear God, Tsukasa._

_She's still alive, she's still trapped in there! How could I forget?! Tsukasa… oh God, Tsukasa, forgive me…_

Though almost drowned out by guilt and fear for her sister, the rational part of her mind still screamed at her: _this is a trap_. And her emotions counter-argued: _of _course _it's a trap, there's no way Tsukasa could be up here in the sky! But still, I _forgot _about _Tsukasa…_we came here to save her and I _forgot _about her! Some sister I am, I'm such an idiot… _The two sides clashed with one another, the whorl of conflicting feelings disrupting her focus… Someone far away was screaming at her, but it wasn't Tsukasa's voice… was it?

Seizing its chance, the mass of the cloud pushed through Kagami's weakening barrier. As the false Tsukasa's face curled into a ghastly smile, the smoke engulfed her left hand and constricted in a vicegrip…

_What's it doing?! _Kagami's senses erupted with pain as it crushed her hand, and blood-red haze swam in her vision. She flailed her arm wildly, unable to dispel the smoke. _What the hell is it do-_

The jewel atop her ring whined under the intense pressure, split along its middle, then shattered. Kagami's body seized up…

* * *

><p>"<em>Kagami!"<em>

Homura had seen Kagami's shape pause inside the smoke cloud, had seen the silhouette of something that resembled her lost sister. She had started screaming then, screaming for her not to listen, recognizing it for the cruel trick that it was. But when Kagami hesitated for just an instant too long, the smoke swallowed her arm, and there was a distant, high-pitched _crack_, like breaking glass-

She tilted gently backwards and began to fall, her sword dissolving into particles of light.

Breaking off her attack, Homura poured on all speed, rocketing toward her. Kagami appeared to be dropping almost in slow motion, shedding starry feathers and dust from her wings… it would take a long time to fall from this high up. A very long time.

Abandoning all caution, Homura reached for her shield and turned it over. Using her wings and the time-stop at once… foolhardy, reckless, something Sayaka Miki would have done. She would be extraordinarily lucky if her Soul Gem lasted even five minutes under this kind of strain. The world froze and turned to greyscale… Kagami stopped in mid-air, just a few meters below the cloud. Homura tucked her wings close to her body and shot up at an angle like a round from a tank cannon, already feeling the distinct burning sensation that accompanied a severe power drain, but she would make it. She _had_ to make it, if it took every Curse Seed she had left. Thirty meters away, then twenty, then ten, then five…

She caught Kagami in her arms and held her close as the shield turned over once more. "Kagami," she whispered, letting herself drift downward to the ground. "Kagami, no. Please, no."

Her eyes were wide open, blank and empty, an expression of shock still frozen on her face.

"Kagami. Kagami, answer me, please…!" Frantically Homura pressed her fingers to her partner's neck.

There was no pulse. Her body was limp. She wasn't breathing…

As they touched down gently on the temple's ancient path and Homura's wings shrank away, she paid no mind to the Demon, or anything else… the world fell away around her. Inside, she had gone cold, as cold as the paving stones beneath her feet. The Puella Magi dropped to her knees, hugged Kagami to herself, and wept.

Gone. She was gone. Homura had failed her. Again.

Kagami's arm fell loosely by her side as Homura held her, swaying gently back and forth. The broken remains of the star-shaped jewel set in her ring shed tears of blood that spattered on the old stones below.

**END OF CHAPTER 30**


	31. Chapter 31: I Figured it Out

**CHAPTER 31: I Figured It Out**

**Izumi Household, Satte**

"Wait," said Konata. A minute ago, she had reluctantly torn herself away from the lightshow in the distance when Kyubey had said something that pushed through her wonderment at what was happening, bringing her back to reality. She found it hard to believe, if not impossible. "I don't get it. We _already_ have magic?"

_Again, this is only a theory,_ said the catlike creature. _My other selves and I see it as a likely possibility, but without more evidence, it remains only a theory. _

_Before Homura and I traveled to this world, or more accurately, this plane of reality, we were told that this particular iteration of Earth had no magic, and thus no Puellae Magi to protect it. But as time went on, I began to question: if this was the case, how could the Demons exist here? Weren't they beings of magic, however twisted? The universe seeks balance with itself, after all... all things must equal to zero in the end. But after seeing no evidence of an opposing magical force, we were initially prepared to dismiss the Demons' presence in your world as a freak occurrence, or a lingering effect of Vittoria's essence spreading throughout the multiverse. For a being able to wreak havoc on causality itself, disrupting the balance in another world would have been simple, even after her death._

_However… _Kyubey paused again. _As time went on, I began to reject that theory, that the Demons' presence was a mere quirk, in favor of another, more logical conclusion: your world _does _have magic, including a balance and an opposing force to that of the Demons… but of a different kind than in our reality. Perhaps we never saw concrete evidence of this opposing force because its work was… less visible, far more subtle than in our own world. It may be that we never noticed it simply because we never knew to _look_. We might have even mistaken it simply as the natural order of things in your universe… or, again, as 'quirks' caused by the essence of Vittoria._

_But now, with the Demons growing exponentially in strength, power, and visibility, so too has this opposing force grown to counter them. The pillar of light we observed just now… I theorize that it was the first emergence of this power in tangible, physical form… the birth of something new._

Konata had to hold herself back from screaming. "Come on, out with it! What is it?!"

_You must understand_, said Kyubey with infuriating patience and calm. _Magic in _our _world is fueled by extremes of two emotions: hope and despair. We Incubators can't feel such emotions ourselves, but we _can _recognize the enormous power and potential that they have, and can channel that power to our own ends, giving birth to Puellae Magi. Hope counteracts despair as Puellae Magi counteract Demons, and all things balance out._

_Therefore, in _your _universe, where magic works differently, I theorize that it is fueled by two emotions just as powerful and just as opposite from each other as hope and despair… the extremes of love and hatred._

Konata stared at him in silence.

Kyubey continued on. _Consider this: we now have sustainable proof that the more of the Nine that Homura and Kagami slew, the smarter, stronger, and deadlier the remaining survivors became. Before, I would have attributed this to an extremely accelerated example of evolution or metamorphosis… now, however, I'm becoming convinced that their rise in power was due to their raging hatred for Homura and Kagami, their increasing desire for revenge against their perceived misdoings._

_So, likewise… the closer Kagami and Homura grew to each other, the more they empathized with one another…_

"... the stronger Kagami got," finished Konata. She wiped her eyes… there were tears gathering in her lashes. "So that big pillar just now was..."

_Yes. I believe that was a sign that Kagami Hiiragi has become something to counteract the hatred that fuels the Demons… Not a Puella Magi, but the first of a new kind of magical girl. One fueled not by hope, but by love…_

Konata stood up and looked out the window again. There were no more lights in the distance. Even the wind had stopped. She didn't like it; it gave her chills, and a sick feeling in her stomach… "Kagamin's fighting out there," she said softly, resting a hand on the glass. "Maybe… maybe all by herself. But if what Homura said about _her_ is true, then she's not really alone, right? _She's_ watching over her, even if Kagamin's not a Puella Magi, even if she's… something else. Maybe _she_ even had something to do with it, right?"

_Perhaps,_ said Kyubey. _Again, it's only a theory. In regards to _her_, there's still no concrete evidence that _she _exists at all._

"But if _she_ does," said Konata, laying her other hand on her heart, "if _she's_ always watching, everywhere at once… then _she's_ watching me, too! And _she_ must know how much I want to help Kagamin!"

_Yes,_ said Kyubey. He had related this information already; he didn't quite understand why Konata insisted on restating it. _If _she _exists in the way Homura described, then _she _certainly does. But-_

"But _she_ wouldn't let me fight for her!" Konata practically exploded. Tears rolled freely down her cheeks now as she released all the anger and frustration she had been holding back for weeks. "Back then, at the café, after Aya…" Her throat closed up tightly; she swallowed hard to open it again. "... a-after Aya d-died… I made a wish! I was ready to make a contract with you and everything, but it didn't work!" Stamping her tiny foot, she looked down at the floor and clenched her fists so tightly at her sides that her knuckles turned white. "It didn't work," she repeated. "Why wouldn't _she_ let me fight to protect the people I… the people I love? Why would _she_ stop me from becoming a Puella Magi? I knew the risks! I knew what would happen! I wanted it more than anything! So why did _she_ stop me?!"

Kyubey tilted his head. _I… I don't know. You're assuming that that was _her _action, of course-_

"I don't know either." Konata sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Once again she turned toward the window, looked out to the southwest where the pillar had been, to the place far away that had gone suddenly, horribly silent and dark. "I don't know if it was _her_ or not. But you know what…?"

Kyubey blinked. _I suppose that was a rhetorical question…_

"Screw it," said Konata. Then again, with far more venom, "_Screw it!_ Screw you, screw the Incubators, and screw your wishes and contracts and Soul Gems and all that stuff! I made my wish, right? I was ready to give my soul for it, right? It's only fair that I should get what I wanted: a chance to fight for my friends! That's how it should work! That's how it _always_ works in anime and manga and video games and… and whatever else! The hero is ready to make her big sacrifice, but at the last minute she get what she wants anyway! She gets to _live!_" Suddenly she jabbed a finger in Kyubey's direction, without looking away from the window. "_Your_ way… with someone having to give up their soul and _die_ in order to get their wish? That's… that's _bullshit!_"

The Incubator drew back as she spat out the word. He vaguely recognized it as some sort of vulgar euphemism, but he couldn't begin to guess what male cow excrement had to do with this situation.

"It's _bullshit!_" shouted Konata, stomping her foot again. "There's gotta be another way, a _better_ way that I can fight to protect Kagamin and Tsukasa, and Akemi-san, and Miyuki, and everyone else! You said our world's magic works differently, right? So it's _bullshit_ that I'd have to either give up my life and soul, or stand back and let them die! I wanna live _and_ save them!" She faced the window, faced the darkness and silence in the distance. Her teary eyes were full of stars. "I love Kagamin," she said. "I love Kagamin." Finally saying those words aloud after all this time was… _freeing_. Bittersweet, but as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "And I love Tsukasa, too. And I love Miyuki. And my dad, and Yui-nee-san, and Yu-chan, and Kuroi-sensei, and Patty-chan, and even Akemi-san… and…" She trembled. "A-and Aya. But Kagamin most of all… Even if… e-even if she'll n-never love me back the way that I w-want… I still love her, dammit!" She threw open the window, and shouted for all the world to hear: "_I love her, I'll _always _love her, and no matter what anybody says, you or Akemi or even _her_... I'M GONNA FIGHT FOR KAGAMIN!_"

A spark…

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

The Demon laughed… a terrible, cruel, mocking laugh that fell down upon Homura like rain. She was barely aware of it; it was little more than white noise to her. She was gone… Kagami was gone. Homura rocked gently back and forth, holding her body close, unable to feel the tears streaming down her cheeks. Inside her was an emptiness, a void, a pit of blackness. The only thing she could feel was herself teetering on its edge... "Kagami," she whispered, over and over again as her Soul Gem began to dim and fill with dark clouds. "Kagami. Kagami. Kagami…"

"_Ahhh…"_ said Desideria above her, bubbling with merriment. "_Isn't _thiiiis _a familiar scene? Once again, you're alive, while the one you claaaim to love is dead. My, my… surely you would have gotten used to this happening by now, Homura-chaaan? Really, how many tiiimes does this maaake? It must be so diiifficult to count them all by now..."_

A dreadful, familiar sense of calm descended over Homura. The void still yawned in front of her, but… she could still step back from it. There was one more option left. One terrible, almost unthinkable option…

"I'm sorry," she said softly, stroking Kagami's hair with her fingertips. "I'm so sorry." With that, she laid Kagami carefully down upon the path, closed her eyes for her, and folded her hands upon her chest. That was better. She could have been sleeping.

Homura stood, gazed with all her cold defiance up at the Demon consuming the sky, prayed for forgiveness… and put her hand upon the edge of her shield.

"_What's thiiis?"_ said Desideria. "_Don't tell me… you're going _back? _After what you know now, after what you know will haaaappen, you're going _back?!" Another tide of laughter rose from within her, stronger than before. "_Ah, Homura-chan…! You really _do _never leearn…"_

"I will do anything," said Homura, trembling with rage, "_anything_… to prevent you from hurting her, to stop you from getting what you want. I know your ways now. I know what you intend to do. I'll go back, as long as it takes, as many times as it takes, to find you and exterminate you. You will _never_ cause her harm again."

The rift tilted back and forth. Parts of the dead flesh within curled and twisted... horrible parodies of smiles. "_Go ahead, then. I wooon't stop you. Condemn her, yourself, and eveeeryone else to even greater suffering… just liiike you did to _her _beforrre. Eraaase this timeline. Erase what feeble happiness you haaad with her. Go, and fffail again and again, just as you aaaalways do. Well? Go onnn. Run away again… complete my viiictory."_

Homura paused. Just a quick motion of her hand to turn the shield, and she would be gone. Into the past again. Who knew how far she would go back this time? A month? Two? To the day she walked into Kagami Hiiragi's class? To the night that she arrived on the grassy hill, looking up at the stars and smelling fresh grass for the first time in almost two years? Or perhaps even further?

Just a motion of her hand, and this timeline, in which she had hurt so much, lost so much, would be gone. She could do it all again. She knew the Nine's schemes, their natures, their weaknesses. Perhaps she could even track down and kill Desideria before she grew so powerful, before she imprisoned Miyuki and stole her form. Prevent that much of Miyuki's suffering, Tsukasa's suffering, Kagami's suffering.

But... suffering would happen anyway, worse than before. Hadn't Kyubey said as much, in the final timeline before _she_ made _her_ sacrifice? The strings of fate were already bound to Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi. Going back would only entangle them further, pull the sisters and their loved ones further away from the normal lives they should have had.

And all she and Kagami had shared, all they had struggled through together, all they had loved… it would become nothing more than a memory.

She could still go back, and start again…

… or she could choose to stay, and end her fight, one way or another.

The choice was hers.

* * *

><p><em>I'm not dead.<em>

It was dark. She wasn't breathing. She couldn't hear her heartbeat… but she could feel the wind blowing against her, smell the summer grass and the elm trees and the faint scent of lilacs from Homura's hair. The dead couldn't feel those things... could they?

_I'm not dead… I'm not dead! But how...?_

Voices… Homura's monotone, choked with unbearable sorrow, and the warped, distorted, gleeful voice of the Demon. She listened to them speak to each other… and-

_Oh no._

_God, no!_

_Please, Homura, don't do it! I'm all right, I'm okay! Don't go back… Don't go back, please… I love you, I can't lose you again…!_

With all her willpower, she commanded herself to move, just a little. All she had to do was let Homura know she was all right… she was so close, she was _right there_, she could smell the lilacs…! She had to stop her from using the shield…

_Move, dammit, please move, please stop her, do _something…!

It felt like the effort would wrench her apart, but… she opened her eyes. _Okay, that's something, at least…_ Above were the stars, bright and gleaming in the velvet night sky, the peaks of the elms that surrounded the ancient shrine… God, it felt like each eye weighed a ton… Shifting her gaze to the side, she saw Homura, staring up at the Demon, her hand on her shield…

_Homura! Dammit, where the hell is Kyubey when you need him?! Homura, I'm here! I'm all right! Don't go back…! HOMURA!_

Strange… moving her eyes was becoming gradually easier, and when they blurred, she blinked, albeit slowly. Whatever paralyzed her was… wearing off? She looked back and forth… and caught sight of the broken star-shaped jewel set into her ring.

Except it wasn't broken, not like before. Tiny red lights passed sluggishly through the pits and fractures in the bloodied jewel, repairing it, _healing_ it...

* * *

><p>Homura closed her eyes, and reached up to touch the red ribbon in her hair. "No," she said.<p>

She removed her other hand from the shield, held it by her side. "_No,_" she said again, louder this time. Her voice was cold, but set as chrome steel. "Not again. I've made the same mistake far too many times… not again." Her eyes blazing with fury, she faced the Demon again. The Soul Gem on her hand shone bright through its growing tarnish. "You've taken too much from me already. No more. This is the last time I lose _anything_ to you or to your kind. I swear, for Kagami's memory, for Madoka's memory, and for the memory my world… I will _end_ you, here and now, or _die trying._"

Her wings erupted from her back, and spread, and spread, and _spread_… three meters, then four, then six, then eight… Taking a ready stance, she plunged her hand into the pocketspace behind her shield…

It was a long shot, a wild gamble. Forget just being reckless, this was a plan that even _Sayaka_ possibly would have called insane. She didn't even know if they were still there, if they still worked, or if she could fire them at all… but during the last fight with Walpurgis Night, she had been pinned inside the building before she could use the extent of her stockpiled arsenal. _Almost_ all of her stores of weapons and ammunition had been depleted, but not all. And then she had lost her shield altogether for two long years, and when she got it back, whatever remaining stores there were from that last battle were swiftly buried under all the new weapons and equipment she stole from the JSDF bases in and around Saitama. Homura reached down deep… and felt her fingertips brush the rivets in a cylindrical metal surface. There they were.

With a flourish, she withdrew first one, then another, then another, until six stood upright before her: a half-dozen Type 88 surface-to-ship cruise missiles, sleek black save for vivid orange stabilizer fins. A week before the last fight with Walpurgis, she had come across a large cache of them in a storage warehouse on one of Mitakihara's military bases. On the night of the battle, most of them had been fired from launcher trucks at the gargantuan Witch… _most_. Now, these six were left… but without the trucks, the odds of any of them hitting their targets were slim at best. She had no idea if their guidance systems could even lock onto any part of the Demon's body… but she would try. And if that didn't work… she still had plenty from her more recent stockpiles.

"_Decided noooot to turn tail and run aaafter all…?"_ Desideria sneered from on high, reveling in the Puella Magi's obvious desperation. Magical attacks were clearly still a threat, but weak human missiles were nothing to her now, not even worth destroying. "_How uncharacteristically _braaaave _of you, Homura-chan. Please, let me reward your courage by eeending your miserable existence… just like I ended Kagami-chan's. Juuust like I'll end _hers…"

Homura stopped dead in the middle of priming one of the missile warheads, her pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks.

"_Thaaat's right, you were _dead _when I explaiiined that part, weren't you…? I won't stop with just thiiis world, oh no. I have _higher _plaaaces in mind… like wherever _she _is… Telll me, when I do find _her_, shoould I say 'hello' for you before I slice _her _throat?"_ She began to laugh again...

"You _bitch_…" White-hot magma coursed through Homura's veins. Her wings flared to twice their normal width, the jagged edges sizzling in the soil at her feet. A protective barrier was set up in front of her almost before she had finished giving the mental command. Concentrating all her power, she surrounded each of the missiles with a telekinetic aura, lifting them off the ground… With a ferocious downward slash of Homura's hand, five engines roared to life, blasting the barrier with their exhaust. Five missiles took flight, streaking upward to the rift's borders… the sixth sputtered and coughed, but did not move. Emitting a snarl of frustration, Homura ran from the barrier, constructing a smaller, skintight one around herself, and snatched the missile from where it floated. Hoisting it like a javelin, she _heaved_ with all her might… Old, frayed wires were jostled together with the motion, igniting the jet engine with a roar. It soared up to join its fellows in formation, and the volley flew straight and true into the laughing mouth of the rift...

All six warheads detonated at once. A thirty-meter fireball blossomed somewhere inside the rift, and Desideria's laughter shifted into an ear-splitting scream. For a moment, the rift seemed to shrink in on itself, as if it were on the verge of implosion…

From below, Homura watched, the firestorm reflecting in her cold violet eyes. She knew better now than to expect that that would finish her, so she waited. She calmly drew one of her remaining Curse Seeds from her shield and pressed it to her gem, and she waited. The moment she had another clear shot, she would fire the next round. And the next. And the next, until it was finally over.

* * *

><p>Desideria's form contracted and twisted as she moaned in agony. Burning… she was <em>burning<em> inside, far more than from the damage the Puella Magi's arrows had done before… And apart from the pain, she was furious with herself for simply letting the attack happen, assuming that it would have no effect. To think that pitiful _human_ weapons would hurt so much…! The implied insult of it was almost _worse_ than pain… She vomited, expelling a rainfall of black blood that drizzled down upon the shrine below. All the power at her disposal, and she could be reduced to screaming from such a crude attack… but no matter. The odds were still in her favor: she would regenerate in time. The full extent of Vittoria's power would be hers in a matter of hours. Kagami Hiiragi was dead by her hand. Homura Akemi was eating through her remaining magic at a prodigious rate. She still had one other power source to draw from, should she need it. And there were still so many, many more ways to kill Homura, long before her Soul Gem gave out…

No more overconfidence. No more holding back. It was time to crush her enemies like the gnats that they were.

* * *

><p>The rift grew back to its former proportions, then expanded as Desideria roared up at the sky. Pitch-black clouds formed above her, swelling and billowing to massive size, forks of lightning arcing through their undersides. The wind shifted from a howl to a keening scream as the sky disappeared, gradually replaced by the ceiling of black. From that ceiling, something massive descended like the hand of God, enormous enough to dwarf even the Demon that summoned it. A shapeless crystalline hulk, well over a hundred meters across, trailing streams of freezing vapor and whorls of hail, it only appeared to fall slowly due to its immense size. In actuality, it was rushing down at them like a thunderbolt from the heavens… when it struck, the shrine would be wiped off the face of the earth, and the shockwave from the impact would level Omiya and its neighboring cities.<p>

Homura gazed up at the incoming glacier, her wings shrinking down and flickering out once more. Even if she were at full power, no barrier she could summon would protect from something that big. Her hand hovered once more over her shield… she could use her time-stop, yes, but it would run out long before she was clear of the impact zone. Even if by some miracle she escaped unharmed, the loss of civilian life in the city would be catastrophic... what few survivors there were afterward would generate enough despair to birth a thousand Demons. That left the option of trying to stop the glacier before it made impact… which was no option at all. Nothing in her arsenal could slow it down, much less stop it. Even if she threw every last bullet, bomb, and missile at it at once, even if she broke it apart somehow before it hit the ground, the fragments would still fall, crushing everything beneath them.

And Kagami… she couldn't leave Kagami, nor could she take her with her.

Forlorn, Homura turned her back on the glacier and the Demon, knelt down, and took Kagami's body into her arms once more. (Were her eyes open? Hadn't Homura closed them for her? She thought she had, but there wasn't time to wonder about that now…) With a sad smile, she leaned down and kissed her one last time… then took her hands and crouched over her, a sad, useless attempt to shield her body from the coming destruction. Oddly, she felt no fear. After having lost so much, lost everything, now that the end was approaching, she was… at peace. Calm. She steeled herself, willing her last thoughts to the people she loved: _Kagami, Madoka… I'm sorry. I'll be with you soon._

And-

It caught her attention from the corner of her eye: a whirling golden circle from the top of one of the shrine's ancient elms… it spun up at an angle, trailing stardust, straight toward the falling glacier, a tiny spark of light against an endless expanse of blue and white. It changed… the circle grew double, then triple its size. Still impossibly tiny compared to the behemoth, but… Homura stared at it, confused, as it approached the glacier's foremost ridge.

So did Kagami. Still mostly unable to move, she had watched Homura's decision to stay with great pride, had wanted to cheer when she delivered her volley of missiles to the Demon. She had watched in helpless horror as the sky blackened and the glacier began to fall, and had wanted to cry when Homura kissed her goodbye, had wished she could lift a finger or do _something_… And then she thought she saw a shadow appear atop the tree, seconds before the golden circle had begun its flight, but that was impossible… wasn't it? Her eyes followed the circle's glittering trail, wondering what it could possibly be, what purpose it could possibly serve… though it did seem oddly familiar, for some reason…

The golden circle struck the ice, burrowed into it… and several seconds later, it burst out the other side in a spray of frost. Curving back around, it plunged into the glacier once more, and erupted again at a different angle. Gaining speed exponentially, it soon was little more than a gleaming streak of gold as it repeated the process again and again, attacking the behemoth like a maddened hornet, until-

The glacier split apart, divided cleanly and neatly into innumerable pieces, each one no more than the size of a car. And those pieces divided into further pieces, and on and on until the once-mighty glacier dissolved into nothing more than a massive cloud of harmless powder snow.

Desideria shrieked in utter disbelief.

The golden circle shrank down to its original size and flew back to the top of the elm. Above, the ceiling of clouds breached, opened up a hole just enough to reveal a crescent moon and a small patch of starry sky around it. There was an inexplicable sound, a great brass bell tolling thrice, as a shaft of moonlight shone down to strike the elm, illuminating the small figure that stood on its highest bough. A familiar voice called out, "_Hold it right there!"_

Kagami's jaw would have dropped, had she been properly able.

Homura's jaw _did_ drop.

Konata Izumi smiled from her perch, her green eyes shining with triumph, hefting a long staff topped with a golden crescent moon blade in one hand, and dressed in… it wasn't quite clear _what_ from the ground, but it was something that was very obviously _not_ her casual clothes or school uniform. Lifting her gaze up to the rift, she jabbed a white-gloved finger at it. "Trying to destroy this city is bad enough," she bellowed, "but hurting my friends and interfering with the purity of young girls' love? _Unforgivable!_ That's going too far, and I won't allow it!" Her staff vanished in a shower of sparkles. She raised one open hand to the sky. "For love and justice…" Bringing her hand down, she waved both arms in an elaborate sweeping motion. "... the sailor-suited magical girl… _Konata Izumi!_" And finally, she finished in a timeless pose, as if she had been preparing for this all her life: her arms crossed, pointing at the Demon with one hand, lifting her thumb and her index and little fingers on the other. With all her heart, she called out the last line: "In the name of the moon, _I shall punish you!_"

In the stunned silence that followed, she dropped off the branch to the ground, executing a flawless if unnecessary front flip on the way down. Her three-point landing seconds later was equally impeccable… she touched down without a sound. With a smile that verged on the infuriating, she lightly brushed herself off and made her way over to the speechless Kagami and Homura…. "Well, guys? Don't just sit there! How'd I do? Not too shabby for my first big entrance, huh? Glad to see you're both okay, by the way, you had me and Kyubey worried there..."

"... Konata," said Homura when her mouth finally resumed working properly. "You…"

"It's okay," said the small girl, raising a hand to show off the new ring with its blue star jewel and heart center that now sat on her third finger. "I figured out a different way. Well, Kyubey helped too, I guess, but… Hey, Kagamin! Stop staring and tell me what you think!"

As her shock faded, the grim reality of what had happened in the last few minutes before Konata's arrival set back in. "Konata…" said Homura, starting to tear up again. "Kagami, she-"

A voice, little more than a feeble croak, floated up from somewhere in the vicinity of Homura's lap. "Kona… ta… what…" said Kagami, lifting her head with a titanic effort to stare at her friend. "What… in _God's_ name are you _wearing?!_"

Homura let out a sound then, a shriek of fear and surprise and joy and impossible hope and a hundred other emotions, all intermingled.

Struggling up to her elbows, Kagami tried to smile. "S-sorry to worry you… it's okay, Homura... I'm really o-"

The rest of that word was muffled as Homura threw her arms around her and hugged her tight, never wanting to let her go. She couldn't speak. It was a miracle, a miracle...

"Easy, easy…" Kagami reached up with a trembling hand to try to pat her back. "Still not… one hundred percent yet…" Looking over Homura's shoulder, she attempted once more to wrap her mind around Konata's new costume…

At least there wasn't much of it to comprehend. It was, by the vaguest definition, a sailor uniform… it had the blue collar and blue pleated skirt, and a big red bow on the chest. It was immediately obvious which particular magical girl Konata had been inspired by when thinking of it… but that person would have probably died of shame at the thought of fighting monsters in _this_ variant of her classic uniform. In lieu of a simple white leotard, Konata's midriff was scandalously bared, showing off skin from the lowest point of her skirt's v-shaped waistline to within a hair of exposing her tiny bust from below. The skirt was barely that, a few scant millimeters away from being totally indecent; one could get arrested in that skirt. The rest of the outfit was fairly faithfully reproduced by comparison: elbow length white gloves with blue cuffs, knee-high blue boots, a blue velvet choker around her neck, a golden tiara with a sapphire jewel in its center on her forehead. Nevertheless, the outfit suited Konata, suited her perfectly… if for all the wrong reasons.

Still unwilling to let go of Homura, Kagami merely raised her eyebrows at her friend as she continued weakly patting the Puella Magi's back. "Really...? _Really?!_"

Konata winked, stuck out her tongue, and spun around proudly to show off. "C'mon, Kagamin, special interests! You gotta appeal to the special interests in this day and age! And admit it..." She grinned, beaming her cat-smile in full force. "You're glad to see me."

Kagami sighed in defeat. She had her there. "I really am… I'm glad to see _anyone…_ How did I even-?"

Abruptly, Homura pulled back, took Kagami's left hand, and stared at it with wide eyes. "Your ring…!"

The white star jewel was almost completely repaired, save for a few pits and scratches, and even those were steadily being filled in by lines of red light. As it healed itself, Kagami felt her strength returning…

"Like I said, I figured it out," said Konata, kneeling down to her friend's side. Her voice grew softer as she looked at her own ring and its jewel, at the tiny brilliant red heart in its center, so bright and vivid that it seemed to beat steadily… "Back when I wanted to make a contract, Kyubey explained to me all about the Heart, how it's the core of all feelings, and how Demons want to feed on it. This power we have now… it doesn't use souls like your magic does, Akemi-san. It comes from your Heart. I mean, sure, a person's Heart is more exposed than their soul most of the time, and maybe Hearts are a little bit more fragile and easier to break, but..." And with brilliantly simple logic, she finished, "... broken Hearts can heal. It just takes time."

Kagami stared down at the star-shaped Heart Jewel in her own ring, just as the red light from within finished sealing the last of the cracks. It was true… she still hurt, still felt stiff and weak and shaky, but as time passed, with each second she felt stronger… And Homura's presence, Konata's presence… their love and concern only sped the process along. _Hearts_, she thought, and she understood. She reached up to take Homura's hand, then Konata's… Their power flowed through her, warming her inside like sunlight, and with great effort she sat up, then climbed to one knee…

Desideria's own stupor of shock wore off abruptly. Another one… there was _another_ one now. Even more impossibly, the little brat had somehow revived Kagami, she was _standing_… The girl had been _dead_, her gem shattered, she was sure of it! She had felt it break in her grip! And now there were three humans, no, three magical girls staring up at her… and she realized in that moment that she had no idea if she could kill them at all, even with all her power. All her other attacks had failed or been thwarted, her invulnerability had proven to be anything but. The little brat's presence had even brought Kagami back from the dead, healed her Soul Gem, or whatever it was… who was to say that she couldn't do the same if she broke Homura's gem? The impossible kept happening... Even shattering _all_ their gems wasn't a certainty to her anymore… Fear crept up on her, a terrible fear that even if she did so, even if she smashed those accursed gems into dust and their bodies into pools of blood and meat, that these humans would somehow get back up again and again to stand against her… That fear began to split her mind, spread hairline cracks through it just as her presence spread cracks through the air around her...

_No_, she thought. She would _not_ let this happen. Gems or no gems, revival or no revival. There was still an option… what was that human expression? A trump card. Something she had once considered far too dangerous to her being, something that could rip her apart should she even attempt it. But it was an option… and with these humans continually defying impossible odds to stand and face her, her own safety was a small price to pay. The Demon reached down inside herself, into the miles of twisted and deformed flesh inside the rift, into all the mass she had absorbed during her transformation… and found the frozen tomb that contained Tsukasa Hiiragi…

**END OF CHAPTER 31**


	32. Chapter 32: My Choice Is Already Made

**CHAPTER 32: My Choice Is Already Made**

**Hikawa Shrine, Omiya**

Desideria began to laugh. Not a mocking, smug laugh like before… a crazed laugh, a desperate laugh, the laugh of a mind coming unhinged. Her laughter shook the shrine's grounds, echoing weirdly off the ancient structures and assaulting the three below from all directions. _"Little girls,"_ she called down to them. _"Little giiiirls, playing dress-uup with their pretty _costuuumes_ and their _jeweeels_ and their _toooys…!_ That's alll you aaaare… I havvve those too, did you know that? One little doooll, sealed inside a prettyyy jewel… I should open herrr up, see what's insiiiide…"_

Kagami's face went deathly pale. "Tsukasa," she whispered, flashing back to her sister's image, no, _illusion_ in the smoke cloud. "Tsukasa's still in there! Still inside her!"

"Her?" Konata looked up at the rift. "That thing's a her?!Wait…" Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me… is _that_ the Demon that-"

"Yes," said Homura gravely. There was no disguising the raw hatred in her voice. "It's her… Desideria."

"Kagamin, I thought you _killed _her! You said you pounded her into the pavement!"

"I did," said Kagami, her face twisting into a determined scowl. "She came back… and she's got Tsukasa in there. I think…" She stopped. It was cruel to hope, especially after the Demon's cowardly attack against her, but she had an unshakeable feeling... "I think she's still alive..."

A line of light burst forth from Konata's Heart Jewel. She caught it in her fist, and resolved it into her crescent-bladed staff from before. "Well then, that changes things!" The tone of her voice… it was as if she had become a different person. Normally, she only assumed that voice when discussing games or anime… some of the few things in her life that she treated with deadly seriousness. It shocked Kagami a little to hear her friend speak this way about something actually _important…_ "If that's the one that locked up Miyuki-san and did all that stuff to hurt Tsukasa… then Konaginata and I have a bone to pick with her!" She gripped the shaft of her weapon with both hands for emphasis.

Kagami stared at Konata, then at the weapon, then back at Konata. "... 'Konaginata...?'"

Just like that, her moment of seriousness was over, and she was back to normal. "Named her myself on the way here," Konata said with a cat-smile and a wink. "See, it's perfect! '_Ko'_ because she's kinda small, just like me, and also, you know, _Kona_-gina-_ta_… her name's got my name in it already!"

Despite everything, her horror, her fear, and her concern for her sister included, Kagami couldn't help but take the time to groan with disgust and slap a hand over her face. Even _Homura_ looked slightly ill out of the corner of her eye. The pun was atrocious… in other words, classic Konata.

"So," said Konata, looking back up at the rift and choosing to ignore Kagami's less-than- pleased reaction to her creativity. "What's our attack plan? We gonna take turns soloing her, or do a Zerg rush?"

Kagami blinked. "_What?!_"

Konata rolled her eyes and switched over to casual language. "Are we gonna attack one after the other, or all at once?" She gave Kagami's new robes a quick once-over and smirked. "You're the one wearing the most red, so I guess that makes you the leader. Kagamin, it's your call. What do we do?"

"I…" That was actually a good question. She looked back at Homura, baffled. "I was sort of planning on hitting her with my sword until she stopped moving."

"Geez…!" said Konata with a sigh. "I expected better strategy from you, Kagamin… obviously, I'm gonna have to step up. All right, what's our first objective?"

"Getting Tsukasa out of there, of course…!"

"Right. We'll see what we can do. Akemi-san, you can provide cover fire, right?"

Homura was already drawing mortars from her shield. "I can."

"Good, then don't hold anything back. Go full-on Touhou bullet hell on her ass!"

Homura wasn't familiar with that term, but she understood the gist of it from the context. She smiled grimly. "With pleasure."

"Kagamin, you use those fancy wings of yours. Keep moving, dodge and weave, and try to keep her attention. I'll go in after Tsukasa."

"Are you _out of your mind?!_" shieked Kagami, staring at her goggle-eyed. "I'm coming with you, there's no way I'm letting you go inside that thing alone after _my_ sister-"

"_Kagamin,_" said Konata firmly, fixing her with her gaze. "Let me do this. I can do it. Trust me."

Kagami reached out to put a hand on her shoulder… and that was when she noticed. Her watch… the watch that Homura had given her at the shrine on the morning of her birthday. It was gone, there was no trace of it anywhere, not even a red mark on her wrist where it had been. The realization that it must have been destroyed when she was absorbed, or perhaps when she shredded her way out of her bonds with that shockwave… that realization _hurt_, it hurt so much. The logical part of her mind scoffed; sure, it was unfortunate, but it was just a watch, after all. Better the watch than her life, right? And yet again, her emotions countered: it was _Homura's _watch. Homura had given it to her, and that made it one of the most wonderful gifts she had ever received. Its gentle ticking had reassured her for weeks now, helping her fall asleep at night when she was consumed with worry about Tsukasa. Its sound had brought her back to herself more than once. It had helped remind her of what Homura said that morning: _"Treasure the time you have." _Now it was gone, lost and probably broken somewhere inside that horrible thing's body… On top of everything else, on top of all the pain the Demon had inflicted, all the lies, all the deception, all the attempts on her life and sanity and those of her friends and family… she had stolen her precious birthday gift from Homura, and that, for Kagami, was the very last straw. "Konata..." she said solemnly, meeting her friend's eyes, "Go get her back, and be sure to give that thing a few for me while you're in there, okay? I'm counting on you. Don't you dare die in there, either… I want to see _both_ of you when you come out."

"I won't let you down." Konata nodded. And once again, her air of seriousness was gone and her cat-smile was back. "Oh, wait 'til you see _this_ move…" Taking a few steps back, she swung Konaginata in a downward arc. The weapon's golden crescent blade shot off in mid-swipe, spinning madly… and in short order it curved back around like a boomerang, ballooned in size, turned itself parallel to the ground, and hovered eagerly before Konata. The tiny girl hopped up on it, positioning her feet and balancing upon it like a surfboard… and with one last smug wink at Kagami, she shot up into the sky, trailing silver glitter in her wake.

"Seriously…" Kagami muttered, shaking her head. With a thought, she summoned Kurokami back to her hand and beat her wings, kicking up leaves in the updraft. "Homura," she said, looking back at her partner, "stay safe, okay?"

"I will if you will." Homura nodded… and then with a real smile, a genuine smile the likes of which Kagami hadn't seen in weeks, she said, "Don't ever scare me like that again, dummy..."

"I'll try not to, I promise," said Kagami, letting out a weak laugh. Flapping her wings, she took off, following Konata's trail.

They weren't more than a few meters off the ground when the storm began. The Demon hurled sprays of toxic bullets, whirlwinds, disembodied faces, clouds of broken glass, black fireballs, random gobbets of torn flesh… a seemingly endless gauntlet of bizarre projectiles. Kagami and Konata wound their way through the storm together, and what they couldn't dodge, Kagami repelled with her barrier. In moments the barrage was met by another from below, and the air was riddled with explosions and the sharp smell of smoke and cordite as the Demon's volleys clashed with Homura's. Rockets screamed up past the two girls, detonating not inside the rift but around it, leaving the way clear for Konata's charge. Fifty meters from the rift's mouth, Kagami shot a last pleading look at her friend before they split off…

It worked. The Demon's eyeless gaze followed her, not Konata. The storm turned in her direction. Unimpeded, Konata crouched down against her makeshift airboard to gain speed, gripped her staff tight, shot forward like a bullet to the jagged edge of the mouth, and past it-

- she nearly collided with a wall. A very _familiar_ wall… only by mentally screaming _"STOP!"_ at her transport did she avoid crashing headlong into it, or through it. To give it credit, it stopped, all right: its sudden screeching halt sent Konata tumbling off the blade from inertia. She fell face-first onto… a carpet. A very _familiar_ carpet.

"What the _hell_…" Konata muttered as she picked herself up, rubbed her nose, and looked around in growing confusion…

Of course the wall and the carpet looked familiar: it was her room. Her room exactly, down to the smallest details: the numerous PVC figures and toys on the shelves and the Haruhi posters on the wall were flawless, just as she had left them earlier. Her bed, her desk, her PC on and humming, displaying a certain particularly notorious cave dungeon from Legend of Ultimaquest… everything in its proper place. Konata wondered briefly if she had been teleported back home or something, or if the events of the last half-hour had been a dream… but then she looked down at herself, at the modified sailor fuku that had appeared just as she imagined, just as she had always wanted… She was still transformed, so therefore… _This is a trick_, she thought, frowning. _Yeah, I recognize this one. Make me think I'm back home and everything is normal so I'll drop my guard, huh? Sorry, Demon, but that's an old one… you need to watch more anime._

Hefting her staff, she stomped on the end of the crescent blade that now lay on the floor, flipping it up into the air and catching it in the groove on the top of the staff. Her weapon reassembled once again, she bent her knees into an alert half-crouch, holding Konaginata at the ready. _I'm not falling for it, so just go on and send your Spawn thingies or whatever after me. I wanna see how sharp Konaginata's blade really is…_

"Is that _really_ necessary?" said a voice behind her.

Whirling around on her heel, Konata thrust her weapon forward…

The point of Konaginata's blade was now millimeters from her own face.

The other Konata cat-smiled smugly. "Come on, Kona-chan, what's with the grumpy face? It's me… I'm _you_. Who knows you better than yourself, right?"

Unwilling to be fooled, Konata glared down the shaft at her duplicate. "Stuff it, they told me all about you. I know who you are, what you can do, and what you've done to my friends… so just shut up and show me where Tsukasa is, or get out of my way."

"You knew what I _was,_" said Desideria through the duplicate, in a flawless imitation of Konata's voice. "I'm so much more now. Tsukasa-chan is helping me…"

A pained scream rang out, its source unclear. Konata recognized the voice immediately. "_Tsukasa...!_" Thrusting Konaginata at the duplicate again, she growled, "Whatever you're doing to her, stop it _now._ I know this isn't really my room, so I don't exactly care about getting blood everywhere."

Laughing, the other Konata pushed the crescent blade aside casually. "You _are_ a sharp one! But then, I knew that about you from the moment I touched you, Kona-chan. I have all your memories… I _know_ you, maybe better than you know yourself. Your thoughts, your desires…" Here she grinned. "Your fantasies…"

Konata's grip wavered just a bit. Her skin crawled… the thought of this _thing_ having access to all her deepest secrets… "If you know me that well, you know I won't give up until I get Tsukasa back. Kagamin's counting on me…"

"Ah yes, '_Kagamin,_'" said the duplicate, grinning smugly… it made Konata sick to see that look on her face. "Your precious '_Kagamin_'. I know things about _her_ too, Kona-chan… would you like to see?"

And at once the room dissolved around them, the familiar walls and shelves and posters melting as if doused in acid. Just as quickly, they snapped back to solid form, but different this time. This was a different room, someone else's room.

It was dark. The only light came from the moonglow filtering through the window. And there was an odd sound coming from somewhere… groaning, almost like someone was in pain.

Konata turned around to find her duplicate, and- _Oh no._

She now knew whose room it was; she had been in it many times before. The shelves of books and light novels, the desk lamp, the slightly beaten-up alarm clock, the old Bonta-kun plushie in the corner… it was Kagami's room. And Kagami was in bed. No, not _in_ bed, but atop it, in a tangle of sheets. With Homura. And they were-

_Oh no._

The duplicate Konata appeared out of a shadow behind her. "This is what happened last night," she said, her voice dripping with poisoned glee. "Your 'Kagamin' finally became a real adult, while you sat there at home playing games and watching anime like you always do. You see, Kona-chan? She gave herself to Homura-chan, and she _loved_ it… Homura-chan did too. They both came, twice…"

Wrenching her eyes away, Konata shut them tight and looked away from the two on the bed, but the image was seared into her mind. Pain, horrible pain deep inside her chest, as if she would tear in two… "Stop it. Stop. Don't show me this…"

The two on the bed didn't stop. They clasped hands, their skin glistening with beads of sweat in the light of the window.

She felt the duplicate's hands rest on her shoulders, rubbing gently. Its touch was revolting. "And the best part is… that could have been _you_ in bed with her, Kona-chan. In fact, it _should_ have been you."

Acid churned in the pit of Konata's stomach. Throwing the duplicate off and killing it should have been child's play, but she couldn't move, her body was frozen in place. She swallowed thickly. "You're lying. That's what you do, what you've always done. You always lie..."

"Not at all," whispered the duplicate. "Homura-chan was never supposed to be here. She jumped into your world when she couldn't save her own… and she took _your_ rightful place by _your_ Kagamin's side. How was it you put it? Oh, that's right… 'I triggered the Unlucky Best Friend flag...' Isn't that what you said to her in Akihabara, the day that Aya-chan died?"

"Shut up…"

The hands slithered down to her waist. "Homura-chan doesn't belong here, she never did. It's all her fault. If it weren't for her, you and your friends would have had normal lives… and you and Kagamin would have fallen for each other. You could have gotten married, had a family, everything you wanted… but Homura-chan _stole_ her from you."

"That's…" Konata's voice was low and husky as she choked back a sob. "That's not true…"

"You've thought as much yourself," hissed the duplicate. "You can't lie to me, I _know_ you. I know all about you. I even know the part of you that always thought you weren't good enough for her, that feared that even if you confessed to her, she would reject you. Guess what, Kona-chan? You were wrong. If you had only taken your chance, Kagamin would be all yours. But now it's too late..."

Konata dropped to her hands and knees. There were dark spots on Kagami's bedroom carpet beneath her… dark spots growing in number. They were wet… they were coming from the droplets falling from her eyes, droplets that she couldn't feel. "Shut up," she moaned. She didn't want to hear this, didn't want to hurt anymore… the idea that she had ever thought these things disgusted her. "Just shut up…"

"What do you think is going to happen now?" The duplicate's voice was joined by other voices, echoes of herself. "They had their first kiss on the night they saved you from Jovanni. They went on their first date in Akihabara. Last night, they had sex… If they both survive, where does it go from here? They'll probably be together for the rest of high school, and after that... bonds that deep don't come apart easily. After Kagamin finishes college, they'll get married… and you'll have to watch. You'll have to watch _your_ Kagamin get taken away forever by the person who stole your place. They'll move in together, sleep together, live together. And what will you do? In ten years, when they're married and happy together, where will you be? Still at home, watching anime? You'll be alone. Your soul mate belongs to someone else, and you _know_ it… you know deep in your heart that you'll never have those feelings for anyone ever again. And they won't care… they'll be too busy being _happy_ with each other. You'll drift apart, see each other less and less, and they'll slowly forget about you… but you'll never forget about _them_. It will haunt you for the rest of your life: you _almost_ found your true love, but you lost her... to a thief from another world."

Breathing hard, trying not to dry heave, Konata trembled helplessly, her skin gone cold. The words cut her to the bone like knives, releasing all the doubts, all the insecurities, all the fears… they were all rising to the surface, bleeding out. Everything she had ever worried about her relationship with Kagami, no matter how small or irrational, no matter how deeply buried. Things she regretted saying and doing, things she regretted _not_ saying or doing. Chances she could have taken. Moments of jealousy, both petty and justified. Worries that what she had with Kagami was based not on the other girl's friendship, but her pity. And _fear_… an undercurrent of fear that lurked at the bottom of everything. For as much as she made fun of Kagami for being the lonely one, the one who acted all superior but was secretly terrified of losing her friends… Konata feared being left alone just as much, if not more, than she did.

And from even deeper within herself, more things she had repressed… On rare occasions, she remembered, she looked at herself in the mirror in the morning, and hated what she saw: a tiny high school girl who looked more like a grade-schooler, skinny, flat-chested, smart but unwilling to apply herself, athletic but unwilling to take advantage of it. Now in her second year of high school, and with no boyfriend, little independence, no future planned out… God, the simple, relaxed life she had been living up until now could collapse in a heartbeat. It was all so _fragile_… What good would her anime and her games do her if she somehow lost Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki, Homura, or any of her other friends, like she had lost poor Aya? Or if she lost her father, or Yui and Yutaka? Kagami had often told her she had a loose grip on reality, and she was right… she had always been right. Deep down, she dreaded the day that all her loved ones would leave her, would see her for the shallow, petty, stupid girl she was and abandon her. So she repressed that dread, pressed it down as far as it could go, paved it over with fandom, wisecracks, and trivial things that didn't matter.

Even gaining this new power, born of the love she thought was so strong, might have been a horrible mistake. All the awful things Homura and Kyubey had told her about what being a magical girl was _really_ like, and she had gone and made herself one anyway. What had made her think she could fight, even with magic? What delusion had she been wallowing in, believing that things would go the way they always did in anime, just because she wanted them to?

The duplicate hovered over her, its lips stretched into a rictus grin. "That's right, Kona-chan. You see the truth now, don't you? Even if you survive, even if you make it out of here and save Tsukasa-chan for her… Kagamin will never love you like you love her, like she loves Homura-chan. Even if you defeat me, someday you'll lose the people you care about the most. Your love is temporary, fleeting, just an eyeblink. Isn't it pointless to love, then, Kona-chan? Everyone ends up alone in the end... just look at you. Where are your precious loved ones now? Where are the people you claim to fight for? Do you see them here? They're _gone_. You're alone, you'll always _be_ alone, and nothing you do matters..."

On the bed, the two shapes writhed and moaned, gasping each other's names.

The red heart at the center of Konata's jewel slowed its pulsing and began to darken.

_Alone._

Around her, something began to bubble up through the floor. Thick and ugly as molten tar, it was so black that it drew in the light around it. The substance oozed slowly, lovingly over Konata's hands and engulfed her legs up to her knees. Its touch burned her skin, but it was ice cold…

_Alone_. All alone.

Alone… She had charged in here like a fool, full of bravado, thinking she was invincible because magical girls _always_ were… and now she was going to die for it. No heroic last words, no final glorious battle, no friends by her side. She would die here, all alone and lost in misery, and that would be that. She would never be found. Tsukasa would never be saved. Aya would never be avenged. All for nothing.

_Alone_. All alone.

A great void loomed before her, a pit of blackness ready to painlessly swallow her whole. All she had to do was fall in, and it would be over.

_Alone._

But...

Hadn't she questioned that already, though? Earlier tonight, hadn't Kyubey told her that someone might be out there, always watching over her, even here, within the belly of the beast? It sounded impossible, but didn't magical girls frequently do and see impossible things? Hadn't stranger things already happened to her in the last few months? It wasn't _that_ far-fetched.

Sure, _she_ might not even be real. _She_ might be nothing more than a comforting fantasy, a story to tell children at night before tucking them in. But the smallest possibility of _her_ being there, alongside her even here, and alongside Kagami and Homura and everyone, everywhere, every_when_, all at once… it had given Konata strength. Faith. Hope. Just the thought that no one was ever really alone…

It was enough.

Konata stepped away from the void. Strangely, she thought she felt a light breeze washing over her, healing her of the poison of the Demon's words… Within the black ooze, her fingers curled into a fist. "You're wrong," she whispered. "You're _wrong_, so just shut your stupid mouth and listen while I tell you how wrong you are…"

The tar-like substance solidified and shattered as Konata stood, her Heart Jewel flaring back to life. Blazing with righteous fury, she turned her back on the bed and faced her duplicate. "First of all, I'm _not_ alone!" Konaginata materialized in her hand, the blade catching the light from the moonglow streaming in through the window. She advanced on the duplicate as she hefted it. "I've always got Kagamin, and Akemi-san, and all the other people I love, even if I can't see them, even if they're not always by my side. And even if I _should_ someday lose them all…" Her eyes glistened with tears, but still she smiled proudly. "... I've still got _her_. I believe in _her_. And as long as I remember _her…_ I'm never alone!"

Her duplicate's face twisted into a hideous scowl, melted, smoothed itself over… until the features resolved into nothing more than a pane of reflective glass, a mirror showing Konata in all her magical girl finery, cheeks wet with tears but still standing proud in the moonlight. For a moment, she was surprised at how… _mature_ her reflection looked. Like a real adult…

"And second of all," she growled, raising her weapon high, "if nothing I do matters… _all that matters is what I do!_" With that, she brought Konaginata's blade down in a ferocious slash, cleaving the duplicate in two from mirror-skull to groin in one stroke. It only had time for a split-second scream before it fell into halves, spraying black blood from either side…

Konata turned her back on the corpse, smirked, and flicked her blade to clean it. "Nice quote, huh?" she said quietly, to no one in particular. "I heard it in a TV show once. Paraphrased it a little, but oh well."

Kagami's room and the two entwined figures on the bed dissolved around her, evaporating like a dream… and were replaced with a nightmare, a diseased conflagration of dead flesh. All around Konata in a rough circle, there appeared shambling creatures with mirror-faces, rising from the visceral floors… only barely humanoid, with limbs made of bare bones and twisted tongues, groaning and reaching for her, ready to tear her apart...

Konata choked back laughter. "Geez, are _you_ ever out of ideas! You were doing better before… I watched all the Romero movies and _Urotsukudoji_ by the time I was twelve, you know. This kind of stuff doesn't bother me at all. But hey, if you want to dance… let's _dance_."

Raising her weapon high, she called out the first attack name that leapt to mind, giving it her own twist: _"Moon Konaginata Action!_"

As if fired from a cannon, the crescent-shaped blade rocketed up from its groove atop the staff… It seemed to wink at her at the peak of its flight, before it exploded with radiant white beams of power that struck down and froze the Demon's minions in place where they stood. The blade then fell screaming back down to her level and hovered eagerly in front of her, glowing bright gold and spinning like a top. Konata wound up, reared back with the staff… and smacked the whirling disc like a batter hitting a fastball, putting all her force behind the blow.

The blade-disc didn't fly straight. It spun around and around her in a deadly tornado, the mere wake of its passing flaying the rotting flesh from the creatures' bodies. Any caught in its flight path were sliced to ribbons. The tornado spread out to encompass the whole chamber, with Konata in the eye of the storm, the sole calm part in its center, sporting a wicked grin.

_This is… really, really cool. If only Dad could see me now..._

* * *

><p><strong>Hatsudai Rehabilitation Hospital, Shibuya, Tokyo<strong>

Miyuki had been silent for a long time. She stared out the window at the spot where the great pillar of light had erupted, which now was darkened by ominous black clouds.

Kyubey watched her intently. Given that at least three theoretically impossible events had already occurred tonight, he was very curious to see what she would do, whether she would choose to derive her power from his contract or venture outside the normal parameters to empower herself with this new, mysterious force. He had explained to her his collective's joint theory about the nature of magic in this world and the potential power of the Heart… and when he had described his other self's witnessing Konata's transformation into one of these strange new Heart-powered magical girls… she had been moved to tears.

Now, however, her eyes were dry as she gazed somberly at the layer of black clouds in the north. What exactly she was thinking was unclear.

"I have a choice now, don't I?" she said finally.

Kyubey assumed she was speaking to him. _I believe you do._

"I can make a wish and fight as a Puella Magi, like Akemi-san… or I can promise to love Tsukasa, even though I'm scared, even though she might hate me… and fight as something new."

_Indeed. That is, assuming you don't want to stay here, where there would be far less potential danger to your person._

Miyuki shook her head. "No. I don't think I can stay here, Kyubey. I'm terrified… but if I don't do something to help them, I'll lose my mind... If I stay, I'll be safe, but I won't be able to bear it."

_That is quite a dilemma._

"If I make a wish…" Miyuki began slowly. "I may wish for anything, is that true?"

_Yes, anything at all. The only limitations in place are your imagination and your own potential as a Puella Magi… plus, of course, some high-level restrictions on extremely far-reaching wishes which would fundamentally alter the universe or its natural laws. There have been… _incidents_ in the past that necessitated that we take such precautions… _Kyubey blinked and tilted his head to one side. _Though, for some reason, I can't recall what incidents those were, exactly… Strange. Also, there is one other restriction that forbids wishing for more wishes. We put that one in place because a small percentage of humans insisted on abusing it, wasting our time and energy… some humans apparently think that they are very clever. Apart from those things, you may wish for anything you desire._

"I see. But if I wanted to…" Miyuki adjusted her glasses. "... I could, for example, wish that the Demon had never hurt Tsukasa, correct?"

_That should be well within your abilities, yes, _said Kyubey.

Miyuki fell silent again.

Kyubey waited.

"It's a difficult decision, isn't it?" she said softly after some time. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to dither over it."

_No need to apologize, it's quite all right._

"Maybe it would be better," said Miyuki, now looking down at her fluffy white hospital slippers, "to wish that none of this had ever happened. Or to wish that I had the courage to tell Tsukasa what she means to me… or to wish that the nightmares would stop. However, if I do that…" Here she lifted her head and fixed Kyubey with her gaze. "The wish isn't free, is it? Apart from the contract and the limitations you mentioned, there are other conditions, aren't there?"

Kyubey fidgeted. Her friends' perceptions of Miyuki Takara were correct: this was indeed a smart one. _From a certain perspective... yes, there are._

"Do I want to know what those conditions are?"

That gave Kyubey pause. _I… find it difficult to answer that question._

"I see." She turned back to the window and laid her hand upon the cool glass. "But if I choose to fight as… this new kind of magical girl, whatever Kagami-san and Konata-san have become… I won't get a wish at all, is that correct?"

_That,_ _at least,_ _I can answer definitively, _said Kyubey, appreciative that this conversation was veering back into territory he better understood._ Based on the circumstances that prompted both transformations thus far, I can conclude wishes have no connection to these new powers._

Miyuki nodded and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with one finger. "Then it seems I truly _do_ have a choice: to bare my heart or not." She placed her other hand on her chest. "To change what's already happened… or face the future, and all its uncertainty. It's sort of a philosophical problem, isn't it?"

_I suppose it is. One could debate such a question for quite some time._

"Yes…" said Miyuki. "I could debate it. Normally, I could sit and wonder about that for hours… but this time, I'm afraid I can't do that."

_Miyuki?_ Kyubey edged closer to her.

"I think…" began Miyuki slowly. The moonlight glinted off the lenses of her glasses… for a moment, it looked as if her eyes were filled with stars. "I think my choice is already made, Kyubey…"

This was it. Kyubey awaited her next words with as much anticipation as an Incubator could feel.

Miyuki closed her eyes, put both hands on her heart, and smiled. "Hold on, Tsukasa," she whispered. "I'm coming."

A spark…

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

Damn her.

Damn the little brat…

Desideria could feel her running around inside, a mouse within her walls, scratching at her with its filthy little paws. Slaughtering her minions, breaking through every trick and illusion that she could generate, moving much too fast to be absorbed, too fast to grasp and break her gem... she was a tiny, unstoppable juggernaut. Rearranging the twisting, maze-like passages of her innards only slowed her slightly; when the mouse girl came to a wall, she hacked away with that accursed blade until she carved a wound big enough for her to slip through. Desideria entertained the idea of simply collapsing her entire body in on itself, crushing the mouse girl before she had a chance to react… but not only was she not certain that would work, and not only would doing so put her body's stability in danger, but it would also most likely kill Tsukasa.

And she _needed_ Tsukasa alive, if only for a little while longer…

Mice. Mice. Mice in her walls, scratching at her with filthy little paws. Mice. Mice...

Meanwhile, on the outside, there were other annoyances to be dealt with. Damned if Kagami Hiiragi wasn't proving to be a fast learner with her wings… swooping all around her in circles, neatly dodging nearly all the debris and projectiles and offal that the Demon could launch at her, repelling the rest back at her at high velocity. That was in addition to the ongoing barrage from Homura's weapons on the ground. The individual bullets, rounds and explosives didn't hurt her enough to concern her, the wounds they inflicted healed fast enough... but when they were delivered one after another after another without stopping, like a series of maddening bites delivered by extremely persistent insects… it was a war of attrition, a war she could feel herself losing bit by bit. When she turned her attention to blocking or redirecting the barrages, Kagami would strike her with another glowing slash from her sword. Focus on Kagami, and Homura's artillery would pick up the slack, bombarding her again.

Mice. Mice in her walls, scratching at her, eating away at her bit by bit… Mice.

And she couldn't focus her full attention on _either_ of them without diverting essential power, energy, and effort from dealing with the intruder inside her body…

But it wouldn't be long now.

Soon, once she was finished with Tsukasa, she could turn her full power loose and obliterate the lot of them in one fell stroke. In the unlikely event that there was anyone left alive afterward, she would absorb them from the broken wreckage below her, bind them _securely_ this time, and ensure that their torment would never end. Until then, she just had to fend them off as best she could, regenerate as quickly as possible, and be patient. Patient. Patient...

Mice. Mice in her walls, whispering dark things in her ears…

* * *

><p>Homura's rain of fire thinned for a moment. Breaking off her attack, Kagami swooped down low to the ground, coming to a halt a few feet in the air behind the Puella Magi and hovering there, flapping her wings to stay aloft.<p>

Homura gazed up through the clouds of smoke that cast a thin veil over the rift. "I think it's working. We may be damaging her faster than she can heal."

"I still don't like it," said Kagami, biting her bottom lip. "It's like she's not hitting us with everything she has anymore. She's not even talking… and Konata's been in there way too long. You don't think she's-"

"No," said Homura. With grim logic, she explained, "If she had managed to kill or incapacitate Konata, she would be taunting us about it by now."

It wasn't much of a reassurance, but Kagami nodded anyway. "Right… we gotta trust in her. She'll make it out… but what happens when she does? What then?"

"We fight." Homura coolly loaded her next round of mortars into their launchers and prepared the firing switches. "The rest we'll come up with one step at a time."

"Gotcha. How's your Soul Gem? Are you still doing okay?"

"I have at least eight Curse Seeds left, and I'm using them sparingly. I'll be fine. And you?"

Kagami glanced down at her Heart Jewel, still gleaming brightly. "I… I don't know. I don't want to jinx it or anything, but it feels almost like I could go on forever… It takes a bit out of me whenever I fire off a sword beam, yeah, but I just have to recharge and I'm ready to go again in a few seconds..."

"I'm sure Kyubey would be fascinated by the mechanics of that," said Homura, the corner of her mouth twitching. "It might be best not to inform him of that aspect of your power."

"This is still just too unreal…" Kagami glided down to the path to stand by her partner's side. "Me and Konata, _magical girls_. With the outfits and everything! You sure you don't mind the competition?"

The mortars screamed as they were propelled into the sky. "Stay away from my Curse Seeds and there won't be a problem," said Homura once the noise had faded.

Kagami stared at her for a moment before it clicked. "... You're joking. You're actually _joking. _I can't believe it."

"Yes," she deadpanned. "That was a joke. If it wasn't very funny, I apologize. Jokes are not my strong suit."

"It's okay, I appreciate the effort." Kagami couldn't help smiling.

Above, the mortars exploded inside the rift one by one, but the Demon made no sound, made no attempt to strike back...

* * *

><p>Soon.<p>

_Soon_.

Just a little more, and then it would all end.

Mice. Mice in her walls, unaware that the traps were about to spring closed. Mice…

A little more…

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

Konata grew anxious… the resistance was thinning. Fewer and fewer minions were springing out of the floors to attack her, and for the last few minutes, there had been no illusions at all. She knew better than to hope that Desideria was running out of ideas… some of the tricks thrown at her were almost too horrific for words. Nothing that hurt as much as making her watch Kagami and Homura doing _that_, of course, but close...

At one point, the corridors of flesh transformed into an old, moldy, decrepit hospital, the halls of which all connected to each other so that Konata spent several frustrating minutes running around in circles. When she grew wise to that, she kicked in one of the doors in frustration… and found a specter of herself lying in a hospital bed, ancient and shriveled, her hair shock white, her vacant eyes milky and blind, and her skin waxy pale and wrinkled like old paper. Hooked up to beeping machines to sustain her miserable existence and slowly dying alone, alone and unloved. After a few scant seconds of anger and revulsion, Konata sank her blade into the specter's wasted chest and moved on.

Then there were the waves of corpses… minions emerging from the viscera disguised as rotting husks of Kagami, Tsukasa, Miyuki, Homura, her father, Yui and Yutaka... even Aya. Konata closed off her disgust, locked it away deep inside herself, and carved through them all without mercy, only pausing for the briefest of moments over the bodies of the ones that wore Aya's decaying face and form.

_That's right_, she thought grimly after the dispatching the last wave of these. _Just keep throwing them at me. The more you show me awful stuff, the better I can deal with it. It just makes me want to pay you back more. And nothing you can make me see is worse than what I can imagine…_

But now both the minions and the illusions had largely given way to simple, straightforward corridors… the Demon wasn't even rearranging itself to impede her anymore. _That_ gave Konata the creeps. _What are you up to? _she wondered. _There's no way you've just given up…_

Something flickered in her mind. A gleam, one that grew brighter when she ventured down one particular passage. Konata followed it like a beacon, trusting that it wasn't another trick. The corridor curved up and down and weaved from side to side, snake-like, but at its end-

"_Tsukasa_," Konata breathed.

Partly embedded in the dead flesh and trapped inside a coffin-shaped spire of ice was her lost friend, her eyes still wide open and her face still contorted with sorrow from the moment she was frozen weeks ago. Konata approached cautiously, keeping Konaginata at the ready, her nerves singing with tension.

_Easy now, Kona-chan. If it's not another trick, then she's gotta be guarding it somehow…_ "Tsukasa?" she said quietly, not daring to raise her voice. "Tsukasa, can you hear me? It's me, it's Kona-chan… It's gonna be all right, I've come to get you out of here. Just hang on while I figure something out, okay?"

Tsukasa didn't answer. That was all right, Konata didn't exactly expect her to.

How to do it, though? Konata had no doubt she was strong enough to shear off the tomb and haul it out of here, but something that big would seriously impede her mobility. Breaking the ice open was another option, but she had no way of knowing if that would harm Tsukasa or not. Besides, she would probably be in no condition to walk even if she were freed… and she was larger than Konata; carrying her would be unwieldy, even with magically enhanced strength. "Damn," Konata muttered, tapping her foot anxiously against the floor, where it didn't so much tap as squish, to her annoyance. "We're in a big pinch, aren't we…?"

The floor quaked under Konata's feet. No, not just the floor, the entire chamber… the fleshy walls, the ceiling, _and_ the floor, all wobbled sickeningly. Konata stumbled, trying to brace herself with Konaginata's blunt end, to little success. _Crap, if this is some kind of Demon indigestion…_

A shadow appeared underneath her. Konata had seen enough video games to know what that usually meant… she tucked her body into a ball and rolled to one side… just in time to avoid a huge, dagger-like bone pillar lined with wickedly serrated ridges that plunged from the chamber ceiling like a falling stalactite. It punched a good-sized hole in the floor where she had been standing, a hole that began oozing black tar-like blood. Before she could investigate it, another ominous rumble sent Konata scrambling as a second pillar exploded lengthwise out of a wall to her right, but this one stayed in place. A wild dance ensued as more and more bone spears, thinner than the first two but no less deadly, burst from every surface, criss-crossing each other to form an intricate-

_Crap!_

Abruptly Konata realized what was going on. Her frantic dodging had driven her back the way she came, and the bones were entwining themselves into a kind of fence, a barrier cutting her off from Tsukasa's tomb. Fuming at herself for falling for such an easy trick, Konata hefted her weapon, preparing to carve her way through the fence as she had the other obstacles in her way. Kagami was counting on her, she couldn't let a little thing like _this_ stop her…

With a nauseating wet _squelch_, the hallway behind her that had led her into the chamber closed itself off, shrinking away into nothing. At the same time, something emerged from the wall behind Tsukasa's tomb, like a huge-

Konata's eyes widened, and her pupils shrank. Without thinking, without waiting to see what it would do, she ran toward the barrier of bones and took a huge swing with Konaginata at the closest one. The the blow reverberated up her arms, harshly jangling her every nerve. Konata tried again, and this time the crescent blade cut a shallow mark into the hard, yellowed surface, but couldn't break through. The bone was just too solid... By the time she hacked through even one of them, it would be too late… Helplessly, she called through the barrier: _"Tsukasa! Tsukasa, if you can hear me, you gotta wake up! You gotta get out of there!"_

No response. The monstrous _thing_ hovered over her tomb, weaving back and forth like a snake over a cornered rat…

"_TSUKASA…!"_

The instant before it happened, Konata twitched. Something inside her sounded an alarm: _danger_. She made to move out of the way…

… as a long, thin spear of bone burst from the ceiling at an angle, plunging into her lower back and out the other side.

"_Guh…"_ Konata tasted something coppery in her mouth. Puzzled, she slowly looked down at herself… and saw the bloody, serrated bone emerging from her belly. What was _that_ doing there? Frowning at it, she made to tug it out… it wouldn't budge. She tried to move, but it held her in place. As blood dribbled from her lips, she began to feel… odd. Like there was excruciating pain trying to reach her brain, but most of it was being blocked by some unknown force, only tiny arcs of it seeping through. An aspect of her powers, perhaps? She didn't know. But she couldn't move, and Tsukasa… _Tsukasa!_

"Tsu… kasa…" Seized by panic, she looked up through the barrier…

… just in time to see the _thing_ clamp onto Tsukasa's tomb and begin to feed.

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

Desideria giggled two words: _"Too late."_

In the air, Kagami froze in mid-attack, falling a few inches before she remembered to flap her wings. Her hands went numb and cold, nearly dropping Kurokami.

Homura heard it too. Her knuckles whitened on the grip of the rocket launcher she had been about to fire.

A pulse… a hideously powerful wave of power radiated outward from the rift. It caught Kagami in its wake, and it was as if she were made of lead… her wings refused to support her any longer. She plummeted to earth, far faster than she should have fallen normally, hit the soil like a meteor fallen from above with a tremendous _thud_, leaving a three-inch deep impression of her body in the ground. Her whole being erupted with pain as her lips opened in a silent cry… it should have been fatal to fall from that high, but she somehow wasn't dead… though all she felt was hot red bands of iron searing on every inch of her skin.

_No. I've got to get up. Have to help Konata and Tsukasa…_

Despite the agony, she attempted to sit up, but some invisible, irresistible force kept her flat in the impression, unable to lift so much as a finger. It was as if her body now weighed thousands of kilos… Frantically, she searched what she could see of the grounds for Homura, to try to warn her…

Homura lay sprawled flat on the path, straining to reach the rocket launcher by her side. From the sluggishness of her movements, Kagami could tell she was being pressed down by the same crushing force. _Homura…!_ She mouthed her name, the intense pressure muting her words. _Homura, what's happening? What's she _doing?!

"_It's too laaaaaaaate~..."_ Desideria nearly sang with joy. _"I have it. I haaaaave it… the Demon that was insiiiide Tsukasa-chan… I can feeeel it innnn me… it's-"_

Her words cut off with a horrific scream. As Kagami watched helplessly, the rift began to tear itself open wider and wider… The network of cracks at the edges of its being spread out for miles in every direction, racing for both horizons. A great mass of ugly, deformed grey roots spewed forth from inside the rift, cascading down… they hit the surface with the force of a fallen bomb, demolishing the shrine and its surroundings in a shower of dirt and debris, squirming and writhing as they burrowed deep into the earth. Kagami saw them expand and contract slowly… the roots were breathing.

From the rift, above the point where the roots connected to it, there emerged… an arm. A single long, thin, blood-red arm, bent and twisted at bizarre angles, tipped with a warped, curving blade like the claw of a mantis that was the length of a city block. The arm and its blade spasmed for a moment, its flesh rippling as if being viewed from underwater… and then, with a violent motion, it tore open a gaping slash in the sky, a slash that began to bleed.

Suddenly, horribly, Kagami understood.

Desideria was no longer a Demon. She had transcended that classification. By absorbing the Curse Seeds of her two brethren, plus the essence of Vittoria from inside her, plus the opposing essence of the nameless Demon that resided in Tsukasa... whatever stability once held her grotesque form together was now gone. She was now a paradox, an impossible being. A being that broke the laws of nature simply by existing.

And this being, the final form of her enemy that had cheated death and committed atrocity after atrocity simply to make her suffer… looked down on Kagami's helpless form, fixed her with the ghostly light of her gaze… and laughed.

**END OF CHAPTER 32**


	33. Chapter 33: Always

**CHAPTER 33: Always**

**Hikawa Shrine, Omiya**

_Get up._

_Come on, Kagami, get up._

_This has to stop. We've got to end this… but we can't do it unless we _get up!

Beads of sweat blossomed on Kagami's brow as she strained against the enormous pressure that kept her in the shallow pit formed by her impact with the ground. Her robes could have been made of solid iron, she was amazed they weren't already crushing her, driving the air from her lungs with their weight…

_Come on, come _on!_ Get _up,_ dammit!_

Her ears burned hot with the continued laughter of the paradox Demon above. Kagami hated being laughed at in the best of circumstances… and she had had just about enough of this thing's laughter to last her several lifetimes.

Now connected to the earth by the tangle of enormous grey roots, the rift seemed to breathe slowly in and out along with them… Mouth-like orifices opened in the roots' diseased flesh, birthing shapeless… _things_… Things composed of raw meat and fat and gristle and bone, things that shuddered, sprouted distended limbs and lurched painfully upright… Whatever they were, Spawn or Demons or something else entirely, they began to walk, taking shambling steps toward Kagami and Homura. Kagami had no doubt that their slowness was all for show, and they could move much faster if they damned well pleased… it was all part of the torment, for the entertainment of their sick master. Make the prey helpless to do anything but watch as the monstrosities took their time to approach them…

_Come on, get _UP!_ Dammit, what was it Kyubey said… something about repelling magic, but also rejecting it… Now would be a _really_ great time to start rejecting! Reject, reject, reject…_

Tensing so hard she thought she might burst a blood vessel, Kagami groaned, pushed against the ground, and managed to lift herself an inch or two out of the impression before crashing back down again. The effort was exhausting, like trying to move furniture made of solid lead… panting, she tried again, three inches this time, and before she could fall she caught herself on her elbows…

Thus propped up, she was able to see clearly the changes that these new creatures were undergoing: sprouting human features, familiar ones… but half-skinned, incomplete, misshapen, _wrong_. They were shifting to resemble herself and Homura, but only to the degree that they were still vaguely humanoid and female by sight. Their naked, twisted bodies were marred by hideous burn scars, and the swords and bows that some carried were made of bloodied bones, not held in their hands but protruding directly from the skin of their palms. And their faces… each face was shattered like a broken pane of glass, bearing a network of cracks like the ones now spread across the sky. From those cracks shone more of the same ghostly, hellish light that lurked inside the rift, pale beams streamed out of their faces as if lit from within by spotlights.

_Oh God. _Kagami's stomach heaved. The Homura-minions split off, headed in her direction… her own duplicates continued their march toward Homura, still pinned on the path. Straining harder than ever, Kagami put all her will into commanding her magic: _REJECT!_

Success. She shot upright so fast that there might as well have been a spring underneath her. Gasping and panting, she struggled to her feet. Maintaining the rejection field, or whatever it was, took a sustained effort. She could feel it draining her, but at least she could move again… Summoning Kurokami to her hand, she gripped the hilt tight as the minions drew near, surrounding her in a circle.

"_Lay down,_" they began to whisper, in distorted mockeries of Homura's voice. The closest minion's head lolled and rolled sickeningly on her shoulders as it reached blindly out for its prey. _"Kagami… lay down. Relax. Let me hold you. Let me touch you. Let me show you… how much you mean to me..._"

Her skin crawling and cold with revulsion, Kagami screamed a _kiai_ as she attacked, bringing her sword down on it in a ferocious slash. The minion that had been about to touch her fell in two, black blood pooling around it on the soil. Again and again Kurokami's blade fell in a sweeping arc, hacking through the creatures if they dared to come near. As soon as she had made a sizeable hole in their ranks, Kagami turned in Homura's direction, ready to run to her side and defend her from-

_BOOM. _The unmistakable roar of a twelve-gauge shotgun sounded across the temple grounds as the upper half of the Kagami-minion nearest to Homura exploded in a spray of gore. The Puella Magi was on one knee, clearly struggling against the crushing weight of the Demon's pressure, but she refused to stay down. The weapon's distinctive _chk-CHK_ sent Kagami's blood racing as Homura worked the pump action, ejecting a spent shell and chambering another round.

It was clear that Homura didn't much need to be defended. Kagami started toward her anyway, methodically slicing apart anything that looked remotely like a minion if it stood in her path. The crowd of twisted bodies between herself and Homura grew thinner and thinner, until finally… she broke through, lined up against her partner's back and grinned, instantly strengthened by her presence. "H-hey… Looks like you've gotten over your trouble shooting things that look like me, huh?" It was a very dark joke indeed, but it seemed the right time to make it.

Homura, now safely inside Kagami's rejection field and free of the crushing pressure, stood fully upright and let another minion have it with both barrels, her face set as stone. "Not entirely, but I'm trying to keep it in mind that they also look like her," she said, cocking the pump again and glancing briefly up at the rift for emphasis. "It makes it much easier."

"I'll say..." She laughed nervously, without an ounce of mirth.

The minions drew tightly around them in a circle to close the gap Kagami had come through. Their whispers continued: _"Kagami… Homura… come here. Come to me. Lay down. Relax. It won't hurt… I'll stop if it hurts…_"

Kagami couldn't help shuddering with revulsion. "When we get rid of these things, what do we do? Have you got any ideas how to stop her, now that she's… _that?_"

"One idea," said Homura. "We'll need to wait for Konata to get out first… and I'm fairly certain it will require severing those roots. It will likely be extremely dangerous…"

"Dangerous?" Kagami's laugh rang hollow. "Right, because this isn't dangerous enough as it is…"

Back-to-back, they turned with each other, striking out at the grasping hands of the minions, working in tandem to make a slow circle of death…

Kagami gritted her teeth, now drenched with sweat with the effort of keeping up the field. As another minion went down screaming, she thought desperately, _Come on, Konata! Where _are_ you?!_

She barely saw it. She could have dismissed it as a trick of the light, a random expulsion from the rift, or even her imagination… but _something_ caught her attention as it streaked across the fractured sky, a tiny comet that left a thin trail of pink light…

Homura saw it too… and for just a moment, the briefest instant, she thought of the impossible. _No... it can't be_, she chastised herself, opening fire on the next target. _But if it's not _her_, then who…?_

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

Konata heard them coming. More of the mirror-heads, or perhaps some new kind of horrible monsters... She wasn't sure which, but she didn't much care. With the bone spear through her belly pinning her in place like a mounted butterfly, she had been helpless to do anything but watch as the _thing_ had finished feeding on Tsukasa through her prison… She still seemed to be intact, thank God, but with no signs of life, no indication that she knew or cared what it had done to her.

"Tsukasa," Konata groaned weakly, making another useless effort to reach behind herself and break the spear. The yellowed bone was like solid rock, it resisted even her enhanced strength. If she could just snap it off and _move_, she might be all right, as long as she didn't try to remove it from herself… None of the magical girls she could think of at the moment had ever taken spears through the back, but it stood to reason that she could recover from this… right? After all, it didn't hurt much… the strange blocking effect was still there, shutting out all but the smallest flashes of pain.

The minions, or whatever they were, however… she could hear the shuffling of their feet in the corridors above and below, knew that they had her vastly outnumbered, knew that once they were all gathered, the shrunken entranceway would open wide again and let them in… and then, whatever awful things they had planned for her, she would be a sitting duck.

_Dammit_, she thought, her thoughts clouded. _Some magical girl _I_ am… my first night out, my first real mission, and I'm stuck here… _It was becoming harder to concentrate. A dawning fear made its way sluggishly through her mind… what if the spear was somehow poisonous? What if it was responsible for the strange dulling of her senses? If that was the case, she had to get off this thing _now_, before the venom could spread further…

"Tsukasa," she muttered, trying to slide back and forth, cringing as the serrated edges bit further into her. Blood dribbled slowly from the wound, staining the folds of her skirt. "Tsukasa, just hang on… I'll get out of this somehow, don't worry…"

Noises… the many feet above and below were moving faster. _Probably just hungry_, thought Konata darkly, managing a weak smile. "Hey Tsukasa," she said, looking up at her through the gaps in the fence of bone pillars. "If you can hear me… just in case I don't make it out of this… don't watch, okay…? Don't watch. I don't want you getting nightmares... we all know how you are... with scary stuff. Remember that time you and Kagamin and I went to see _Saw 3_? I thought you'd faint..."

Now the noises just plain didn't make sense. Konata frowned… she thought she heard screaming, thunder, heavy things falling over… and the minions' feet were going _backward_, away from her. What was going on?

Then a sizzling sound, and the stink of burning flesh… there was something burning through the wall, she could feel the heat and faintly see the glow from the other side. Konata swallowed, made another futile effort to break the spear, and smiled weakly at Tsukasa. "This might be it… S-sorry, Tsukasa… at least I won't m-make... much of a meal, huh?"

And -

"_Konata-san…!"_

That, at least, cut through the mental fog. Konata craned her neck to look back over her shoulder as best she was able… there was no way she could be hearing that voice, no _way…_

A blast of winter air, and a brittle crackling sound… and Konata felt the vibration as the spear broke. She fell to the floor with a _splat_, making an effort to land on her side so that she wouldn't do even _more_ damage to herself. Groaning, she looked up to thank her rescuer… and her lips curled into her trademark cat-smile. "_Wow_, Miyuki... way to go retro… g-good job..."

The kind face of Miyuki Takara stared out at her from beneath a heavy hood. Her body was shrouded in a cloak, driven white with triangular red patterns on the edges… it was a design that flooded Konata with nostalgia; she recognized it immediately, because she had seen it in close to a dozen games in the main series and countless spin-offs… it was an iconic class, after all. She had to admit, now that she looked at it, the part suited Miyuki perfectly.

"Konata-san! Oh no, Konata-san, please hold on…" Miyuki tucked the huge, heavy book that she carried under her arm and knelt down to try to help the smaller girl sit up. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! Does it hurt? I… I don't know what to do… It must hurt _terribly_, but I don't remember if I should remove it or-"

"Calm down, calm down," Konata chuckled. She was actually starting to feel a little stronger, clearer of mind… "I'll be okay, now that you're here, White Mage-san…"

Miyuki flushed pink and adjusted her glasses as she looked down at her robes. "I-is this costume all right? It was the first thing I thought of… I suppose I could change it later, but-"

"Uh, Miyuki-san?" Konata looked past her to where she had come through the wall. "You're being super _moe_ right now... and normally that'd be great, but we've got company…"

At least a dozen of the mirror-headed minions were clambering through the smoking hole, making sounds like rattling bones. Wicked scythes erupted from their forearms as the first wave lurched toward the two girls, with more behind…

Miyuki swallowed and stood up. "D-don't worry, Konata-san," she said, taking the enormous book from under her arm and letting it fall open. Its covers were made of beautiful crystalline ice, embossed with snowflakes. The pages began to glow, as did the lenses of her glasses. "I'll protect you… I won't let them hurt you or Tsukasa-san ever again!" She raised her other arm high. Glowing runes began to carve a spell circle in the air a foot in front of her, and…

Konata watched in amazement as a gout of flame erupted from the spell circle, reducing the front ranks of the mirror-heads to burning husks and forcing the next wave back. The sharp stench of burnt flesh once more filled the chamber as the remnants of the bodies toppled to the floor, charred black. The next wave paused, screeching to each other, as if arguing over which one would go forth and get barbecued next.

"Great shot…" Konata pumped a fist as best she was able, then winced as the motion aggravated her injury. "I think you must have gotten at least one Critical on 'em… but Miyuki-san, just so you know... it's Black and Red Mages that usually have the elemental spells. White Mages are for healing and status buffs…"

"R-really?!" Miyuki's face fell with disappointment. "_Drat!_ I _knew_ I had those mixed up! It's been such a long time since I've played, and I never could remember…"

Konata smirked. "Never change, Miyuki-san… you've got the _moe_ thing down pat…"

Another wave approached, more this time. They were coordinating now, getting over their shock…

"Miyuki-san…" Konata groaned and tried to find the strength to stand. Sitting around wasn't going to help anyone, least of all Tsukasa… "Might wanna turn up the heat a little bit… do you know Faija or anything?"

"'Faija?'" Miyuki blinked in confusion. "Which one is Fai-"

As she spoke the name, the spell circle tripled in size, and the book nearly leapt out of Miyuki's hands. The next blast of flames was a raging inferno that scoured the rest of the room from top to bottom… the mirror-heads rushing them crumbled into little more than cinders.

Miyuki stared at the ashes drifting slowly to the floor, her mouth hanging open a bit. "I… I didn't know I could do that…"

Wincing, Konata finally managed to climb to her feet. She propped herself against one wall, again careful not to jostle the jagged end of the bone spear protruding from her back. "Strategy guides, Miyuki-san... They're a good investment, and they've usually got great artwork… _nnngh..._" She clutched a hand to her stomach, and pulled it away stained red.

The other girl let out a shriek that was tinged with panic. "_Please,_ Konata-san, try not to move!"

"I'll be fine…" said Konata, trying to wave her away. "I'm more pissed about it ruining my outfit... than anything else…"

"Konata-san…" Miyuki chewed on the inside of her lip. Her eyes wavered back and forth, from Konata to the latticework of bone pillars that separated them from Tsukasa. Her fingers twitched in her indecision, and she actually whimpered as she leaned one way, then the other…

Konata sighed. "Go to her, Miyuki. She's what we came here for. I'll stay… and stand guard for more of those things." She summoned Konaginata back to her hand for emphasis, and braced herself against the floor with it like a cane.

Miyuki hurried to her side to put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll come back for you. I promise." With a last small, hopeful smile to her friend, she approached the fence and opened her book… Hiking her glasses up the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Once more, both the book's pages and her lenses began to glow with the same soft white light. She raised her free hand high, formed the new spell circle with her thoughts, then dropped it down…

A powerful wind blew back Miyuki's robes and Konata's hair as the spell was turned loose. Frost spread across the yellowed bones, gathering and slowly covering them over with an icy shell. Just as with the spear before, the bones grew weak and brittle, and cracks raced through them from the stress… until finally, the whole barrier collapsed in a chaotic tangle of fractured shards. Miyuki swallowed, tucked her book under her arm, and walked forward, pushing aside what wreckage she could and stepping around the rest.

When she was finally clear, she cautiously approached Tsukasa's tomb, one step at a time, her nerves taut with tension as she expected a trap to spring at any second. Her features twisted with pain as she beheld Tsukasa's frozen expression. Alone and frightened, trapped in there for weeks…

"Tsukasa," she began. "Tsukasa, it's me. It's really me, it's Miyuki…" Miyuki crept closer. "I'm so, so sorry, Tsukasa. All this, all that's happened to you…" Her throat grew tight. "It was my fault. That _thing_ used me, used my memories, my feelings… Tsukasa, I know you have no reason to forgive me, but please… please wake up. You don't have to do it for my sake, but for your sisters, your family… They need you, Tsukasa. Kagami-san and Konata-san need you."

No response.

"Keep going, Miyuki!" called Konata from the other side of the barrier's remains. "You can do it, I know you can!"

Miyuki's vision began to blur. "You can hate me if you want," she whispered to her silent friend as she finally came close enough to touch the ice. Its chill traveled up and down her spine like fingers. "If it makes you feel better, if it helps you come back to us, you can hate me… I don't deserve anything more. Just as long as you wake up, it's all right…"

Still no response.

Miyuki's nerves sang a high note of warning. She heard Konata shout her name an instant later. All around her, the walls, ceiling, and floor of the chamber shook… Miyuki turned around, held open her book to face whatever new horror was coming, and-

Her face turned deathly pale. The chamber of horrible dead flesh was gone between one blink and the next, replaced by something that terrified her more than organs and viscera ever could.

Mirrors.

She now stood on a massive, reflective pane of glass, surrounded by ornately-framed mirrors in a twenty-meter circle, all joined together by golden chains. From behind one of those mirrors, Konata's image pounded uselessly on the glass, her mouth open and shouting angrily with no sound. Apart from the mirrors and Tsukasa in her tomb behind her, the rest was a black expanse… nothingness. Empty space.

Convulsions overtook Miyuki's body. Her book thudded to the glass floor, and she followed shortly after it, sinking to her knees, her cloak pooling around her. Her mind seemed filled with static, static from which only one word emerged, repeated over and over: _No._

_No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No._

She began to cry then, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. She knew what was coming. She didn't know how she knew, how it was even possible, but she knew… but knowing did nothing to stop the icy fear that coursed through her as her reflection in one of the mirrors picked itself up, straightened its robes, and walked forward, the glass rippling around it like water as it stepped through. It walked slowly, deliberately, a smile spreading across its face…

Her reflection. The monster. The _thing_ that had stolen her life… it was still alive. It was still alive and it was _here_...

"_Hello, Miyuki-chan,"_ said her duplicate. _"It's been a while, hasn't it?"_

"Y-you…" Miyuki's voice was a dry, pathetic croak. Nothing more would come out.

"_Me,"_ said the other Miyuki calmly. _"You never truly believed I was gone, did you? You knew I would come back for you someday."_

From the other side of the mirror, Konata shouted louder than ever, her voice still silenced by the new barrier. Her frantic blows against the smooth surface did nothing but tear open her wound further... blood cascaded from it, forming a puddle at her feet.

Trembling helplessly, Miyuki stared up into her duplicate's grinning face. She couldn't look away… couldn't move, couldn't do anything…

"_I know what you're thinking,"_ said the other Miyuki. _"You're thinking that I'm going to kill you, right? I could do it. I could wrap my hands around your pretty little neck and snap it right now, if I wanted to…"_

A moan of despair escaped Miyuki then, as her own hands flew to her neck, as if the duplicate were strangling her already.

"_Or I could trap you inside the mirror again. Would you like that, Miyuki-chan? I could make you watch while I kill your little friend that's trying to break in… I can do it again, you know. Just by touching you, I'll have all your memories again. This time, I won't make mistakes. No secrets, no midnight trysts with Tsukasa-chan... I'll copy you perfectly this time. I'll blend in with your friends and family so well that they'll never notice that you're gone. I'll live out the rest of your life, better than you ever could…"_

Cold. Miyuki was so cold. Frozen in place. Helpless. But the cold was preferable, because the cold wasn't the void, the dark, where she couldn't feel anything, couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't blink…

"_But I'm not going to do any of that."_ The duplicate sneered. Its eyes vanished behind a sudden glare that appeared in the lenses of its glasses, the source of the light unclear. _"No, I'm going to let you go. Go on, Miyuki-chan… save Tsukasa. Wake her up. Bring her back to her sister. Try to fix what's been broken… Even if she forgives you, even if you become friends again, you'll never measure up to what we had. I gave her _everything_. Everything she wanted. I knew exactly how to please her, and she loved me for it. I was everything she needed. With all that I was for her, what chance do _you_ have? No chance at all. Especially when she learns that all the pain and lies and deceptions she suffered through… all of those were _your_ fault. I never would have conceived of owning her heart so completely had it not been for you giving me the idea… So thank you, Miyuki-chan. Sincerely, thank you. You've earned your chance to walk out of here with the person that you love so much… so go on. Wake her up, if you can."_

Teardrops spattered the glass beneath Miyuki as she allowed herself to slump forward, limp as a rag doll. It was true, it was all true… and it was worse than she ever imagined. The monster's revenge was already complete. Its shadow would hang over herself and Tsukasa for as long as they lived. No amount of apologies, no matter how sincere, could ever make up for the damage Miyuki's hidden feelings had wrought. And even if they fought for some semblance of normalcy, of friendship… Miyuki was flawed, clumsy, neurotic, a know-it-all who never knew when to stop talking about some fool thing or another. She had no idea what Tsukasa wanted or needed. Compared to herself, the monster was a perfect lover... even with all its evil, it had given Tsukasa pleasures she had never known, would never have again.

The tiny red heart in the center of Miyuki's pink Heart Jewel began to dim and slow its pulsing.

On the other side of the glass, Konata screamed her friend's name and fell to one knee, her skirt dyed almost completely red with blood.

"_You've proven what I've said all along, Miyuki-chan,"_ said the duplicate, kneeling down to Miyuki and slowly reaching for her. _"Love is the sweetest, deadliest poison. It destroys you, eats you away from within… and you let it happen. You willingly lose yourself for someone else… and it feels _good_, so good that you don't know or care that it's slowly killing you. And when love dies or fades away, as it _always_ does in time, you're left with nothing but the empty shell of yourself, all alone… So why do that to yourself? Why torture yourself with love and trust in others, when it's better not to feel anything at all? It's all right, Miyuki-chan. It's all right to just _stop_ feeling… Detach yourself, just like you've done to cope the last few weeks. But wouldn't it be wonderful if you didn't have to come back? You could stay detached, and never hurt again… I can even help you. It will only take a moment…"_

The void yawned black and pitiless before Miyuki, but this time it wasn't frightening… it was welcoming. Quiet. Peaceful. An escape from it all. The idea of falling in was so seductive… no more nightmares, no more pain...

But…

There was a nagging uncertainty. Yes, the thought that Tsukasa might never forgive her was terrible beyond words. The idea that her flawed, inadequate self would ever replace the monster in Tsukasa's eyes, the one that had seduced her and pleasured her so thoroughly, was laughable. In all likelihood, her relationship with her precious friend was irreparably broken.

But how could she know that for sure, if Tsukasa never woke up?

If she detached forever here, before letting Tsukasa know how sorry she was, how much she meant to her… it wouldn't really be an escape, would it? Even in the grave or the mirror or whatever lay beyond, the feelings left behind would torment her for eternity. The road not taken. What might have been. If only.

If she stayed here and tried to reconcile with Tsukasa, there was a chance that it would hurt. There was a chance that it would hurt so deeply that she might never recover. There was a chance that she would suffer through nightmares and regrets for the rest of her life. A life of misery was hardly a life at all.

But there was a chance… small, yes, but still a chance… that Tsukasa would forgive her. Maybe not right away. Maybe not for years… but Tsukasa was a good person, wasn't she? They had been friends, hadn't they? Even with all the suffering she had gone through, someone as sweet and gentle and good-hearted as Tsukasa might forgive her… someday…

There was a chance the monster was right.

There was also a chance that it was wrong.

It was enough.

"I…" said Miyuki, swallowing hard and closing her teary eyes.

The duplicate paused.

Her next words were almost too quiet to make out. "I… love Tsukasa," she said. "I love her… with all my heart. It's true that it's my fault… that she hurt so much. She should hate me. She should never forgive me… but I don't know for sure… I don't know for sure that she _won't_. And until I know… I'll keep trying."

Her lenses lit up bright as her eyes snapped open, and her Heart Jewel regained its light and pulse. Miyuki spread her fingers wide and called for her book, felt it answer… it flew into her hand, pages aglow.

The duplicate drew back with an angry hiss, its face contorting…

"You…" Miyuki sniffled and staggered to her feet. "I'm afraid of you. I'm more afraid than I have words for. But as afraid as I am of you…" She spread her arms and legs wide before Tsukasa's tomb, shielding it with herself. "I'm even more afraid of losing her. I won't let you keep her here, and I won't let you hurt her… never again."

"_Fool,"_ sneered the duplicate. Its hand retracted back into its robes, and reemerged as a set of nine wickedly sharp glass claws. _"You should have taken the chance I gave you. Now you'll suffer even more for it…!"_

A small, trembling smile spread across Miyuki's face. "I did take a chance," she said softly. "But not yours. Your way sounds like the truth, but it's flawed. It's a twisted and ugly reflection... just like you. So I think it's time…" Here she adjusted her glowing glasses. "... to correct the reflection."

And in that moment, she knew her book's name, knew its true shape and power. _"Heshioru,"_ she whispered. _Shatter_… a fitting name for its new form...

The book slammed shut. Its crystalline covers shifted, merged together, swelled into a new shape. They formed the head of a massive war hammer, a wicked conical spike on its face. From the spine grew a handle, a shaft almost two meters long. Miyuki took hold of it with both hands, and found it somehow both heavy and light at the same time…

And the duplicate charged, enraged beyond reason, beyond caring by its prey finding the strength to stand again… The lenses of its glasses filled with flames; its features didn't remotely resemble Miyuki's anymore. Spreading the claws wide, it lifted them high, preparing to bring them down on the girl and slice her to ribbons…

Setting herself, Miyuki raised Heshioru and waited, and waited, and waited. Calculations raced through her mind, printed themselves in lines of light on her lenses, factoring in time, velocity, proper application of force and gravity… The other Miyuki's charge seemed to slow to a crawl as she made minute adjustments to her angle of attack, the placement of her hands on the shaft, the position of her feet… everything had to be perfect, for she couldn't afford to let this thing have a second chance to strike. Just because it was magic didn't mean the laws of physics stopped applying entirely…

She could have sworn she heard a tiny chime as the correct formula finished inscribing itself before her eyes. She took it in, committed it to memory, and made the plan to execute it in less than an eighth of a second. Not for nothing was Miyuki Takara consistently in the top of her class… when her full focus was applied, her mind was a finely-tuned machine, her greatest asset. And she had crafted her powers and her weapon to compliment that asset… to further the analogy, Heshioru was designed to take that machine and turbocharge it.

So though the duplicate came within an inch of skinning her with its claws, from her perspective she had more than enough time to calmly step aside at the last possible moment… and bring the hammer down on the exact spot where the duplicate's inertia carried it forward microseconds later. It didn't have the chance to so much as blink.

The thunder of the hammer's fall drowned out the sickening _crunch_ that its victim's body made as it was pounded flat. Its impact spiderwebbed the glass beneath Miyuki's feel with deep cracks, cracks that raced through the surface and spread to every mirror in the barrier… With a musical sound, every pane of glass split through and dissolved into dust, leaving Miyuki back in the chamber where she started, pale and shaken and still a little teary-eyed, but alive…

"_Miyuki…!"_ Konata stumbled toward her, balancing herself with Konaginata's blunt end and holding her free hand to her stomach. "My God, Miyuki, that was fantastic…! You're amazing..."

It was then that Miyuki let out the breath she was holding, released her grip on Heshioru's shaft, and collapsed in front of Tsukasa's tomb, shivering all over. Her eyes wouldn't leave the spreading pool of black blood from the body crushed beneath her hammer.

"Easy, Miyuki-san, easy..." Konata limped to her side and patted her gently on the shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay now. You were so brave..."

"B-but…" stammered Miyuki, taking Konata's hand and clinging to it for dear life. "... b-but I'm not b-brave at all... I'm still so afraid…"

"Yeah, but you did it anyway. You _beat_ her." Konata cat-smiled and patted the top of the delicate hand grasping her own. "That takes guts… especially after all that crap she said to mess with your head. I'm proud of you, Miyuki-san... you make a great magical girl."

"K-Konata-san…"

"C'mon, Kagamin and Akemi-san are waiting on us. The sooner we get Tsukasa out of there, the sooner we can go home…"

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

A sound rang out from the rift, a sound that, despite all the warping and distortion of Desideria's voice, could only have be a scream of frustration.

_Way to go, Konata,_ thought Kagami, allowing herself a weak smile as she mowed down yet another minion. _I _knew_ you could drive her crazy…_

"This is getting us nowhere," growled Homura behind her. Two more rounds chambered into her shotgun as she worked the pump again. She had long since lost whatever grim pleasure there was in blowing these things apart… it had become a wearying cycle of firing, reloading, aiming, and firing again, only occasionally interrupted by savage blunt attacks with gun's stock to the necks of minions that drew too close for comfort. "It's clear she's only stalling for time…"

"_Hnnngh…_ wh-what else are we supposed to do?!" grunted Kagami, holding Kurokami's blade in front of her protectively to block an arm that seemed intent on pawing at her face. "We can't kill her while Konata and Tsukasa are still-"

A shudder passed through her, a frigid, tingling sensation starting at her toes and traveling all the way up her spine to the top of her head, then back down again. It was in that moment that the field she put so much effort into maintaining flickered, faded…

"_Gah…_" Crushing pressure forced Kagami to one knee. Only by burying her sword point in the soil and gripping the hilt with all her might did she even stay upright. The _thud_ at her back told her that Homura had been likewise driven down…

"K-Kagami…" Her partner's voice was strained, as if forcing each syllable out was a titanic feat of strength. "What… happened…?"

"Dunno…" Droplets of sweat rolled in bullets down Kagami's forehead as she tried to reapply her focus. "Might be… running low… on magic… or something… I've been… using a lot… dunno if I can… put the field back up..."

Homura's hand inched across the ground toward hers. "Don't stop..." she gasped. "Keep... trying…"

Unaffected by the pressure, Desideria's minions took time to fill in their ranks again, closing the gaps in the circle around the two girls. They approached their prey slowly… Kagami could have sworn a few of them were smiling.

* * *

><p>Above them, Desideria watched. The two biggest threats were pinned… even magical girls couldn't stand for long when fighting gravity itself. It was a war of attrition, and all she had to do was keep pressing down until they collapsed under the weight.<p>

As for the other two mice…

She looked inside herself and saw them slowly approaching Tsukasa's tomb. If they managed to wake her… Desideria had seen enough impossible things tonight to guess what would happen then. She had to stop it at all costs.

Strange, for though her body was now a formless, ugly rift, holding together only through her force of will, her mind felt clearer than it had been since absorbing the Curse Seeds of her brethren. She was… different. Calm. Sure of purpose. Not sane by any means, but lucid enough to decide on a course of action. Perhaps the chaotic energies of the two opposing proto-Demons had balanced each other out somehow… She didn't know and she didn't care. Right now, decisive action was needed.

The mice had to be exterminated.

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Side-by-side, Konata and Miyuki laid their hands on the surface of Tsukasa's tomb, concentrating their power. Soft light blossomed between them, catching in the facets of the ice…

_Tsukasa,_ thought Konata. _It's time to wake up. It's gonna hurt, I know, but we'll all be here for you… me and Kagamin and Miyuki-san and Akemi-san. No matter how bad it seems, we'll be by your side. Always._

_Tsukasa,_ thought Miyuki. _Even if you can't hear me, even if you don't believe me, I want you to know… it wasn't all a lie. For what it's worth… I love you, Tsukasa. I'm sorry I can't say it to you aloud, but I love you. No matter what happens, I love you. Always._

From within the ice they felt a slow but powerful pulse, as if she were stirring…

And…

They burst from the chamber's left wall, speeding toward them like runaway trains. Long and thin, but strong, composed of dead tongues woven together like the fibers of ropes… the first arm caught Miyuki by the neck and lifted her off her feet, slamming her into the soft, yielding surface of the opposite wall.

"_Miyu-"_ That was all Konata could get out before the second arm seized her, constricted her breathing and took her on a crazed flight until she too struck the wall a few feet from Miyuki. She screamed sharply, coughed up blood as a thunderclap of pain spread through her… the impact thrust the remains of the bone spear deeper into her, the broken end that jutted from her back disappearing inside the wound.

As she struggled to pry the awful, slimy things from around her neck, Miyuki's eyes flicked upward…

Emerging from the other wall was a nightmare creature composed of tongues and eyes, vaguely shaped like a leopard walking upright, with knees facing backward and a grotesquely extended neck. Interspersed among the tongues were eyes, eyes of every color, in every place on the body except where they should have been, on its face… It flicked its rope-like arms and pushed the two down deeper into the wall… and the wall accepted them, making sickening sounds as it began to engulf their bodies in itself.

"_You…"_ hissed the thing, swiveling all its mismatched eyes to glare lividly at them. _"I… have had… _ENOUGH._ Torture won't stop you. Illusions won't stop you. Pain won't stop you. Even shattering your gems won't work… No matter what I do, the mice in my walls keep tearing at me…_

"_So I'm going to bury you _inside_ my walls. Smother you until you stop your squirming. Let's see you fight back without any air… even _mice_ need to breathe..."_

**END OF CHAPTER 33**

**TO BE CONCLUDED IN CHAPTER 34: FOREVER**


	34. Chapter 34: Forever

_***Author's Note***_

**A few words from BHS:**

_This has been a long time coming. Once again, I apologize for the long, long wait… life happens, writer's block strikes, the days go by, you know the drill. Also, I wanted to be sure that the ending was as close to perfect as I could make it before I posted it. I've put more work and consistent time into _Stars Above_ than anything else I've ever done, outside of _Tasakeru_. To paraphrase Tolkien, this story grew in the telling, far beyond what I expected when I started out. I always intended to make it the best damn fanfic possible, not _just_ a fic to support my OTP… but I never guessed I would still be writing it over two and a half years later, nor did I know that it would come to occupy so much of my life. I've loved these characters for a long time, but it's only through writing them that I've come to such a deep appreciation and understanding of them all. So if the finale took a lot longer than usual, it's partly because I felt I would be doing the characters, the readers, and the story itself a disservice if I rushed it._

_For those of you wondering: yes, I've had this ending in mind pretty much since the beginning. Details changed along the way, but it was always going to end almost exactly as it does, down to the final lines. And for those who asked: no, I haven't seen _Rebellion _yet, but I am well aware of what happens in it… I'm reserving judgment on it until I see it for myself. Regardless, Forz and I realized back when the Madoka movies were first announced that they would almost certainly contradict what we had in mind for this fic, so we decided well in advance that the events of _Rebellion_ would have no bearing on any part of _Stars Above. _In my headcanon, as far as this story is concerned, _Rebellion _either simply didn't happen, or happened in a different timeline or another part of the multiverse._

_Now, if you'll pardon my indulgence, I have to geek out a bit and recommend a soundtrack for this chapter. If you really want the full effect, as the final battle starts up (if I've done my job right, you should know exactly the right moment, but just in case: look for the word _"rise"_), start listening to "Carry On". Also acceptable are "The Power of Love" or "She's Got the Power"; all three are songs from the Sailor Moon English dub soundtrack. If dub music isn't your preference, Tommy Heavenly6's version of "La Soldier" from the Sailor Moon 20th Anniversary Tribute album will do just as well. You should be able to find all these songs on YouTube or one of the many various Sailor Moon fan sites. All those songs have played in my head at one time or another whenever I've visualized that scene… imagining it without the musical accompaniment just isn't the same. And yeah, you can absolutely play Kajiura's "Sagitta Luminis" (and, of course, "Let It Be") at the appropriate moments, too, of course._

_For all the fans and people who have read _Stars Above_, for those on FanFiction Dot Net, TVTropes, DA, AO3, AFF, or anywhere else you might find it, Forzare and I give you our deepest and humblest gratitude. This chapter is for you... it's because of you all that we finished this thing. Speaking of Forz, please don't forget to give him the credit he deserves, though he'll likely protest. I did the writing, yes, but he laid the foundation for the entire story, and it wouldn't exist without him or his amazing ideas and concepts. Also, though our relationships might have sadly gone south over time, we should also acknowledge all the other former players from the Onions RP threads on the TVTropes forums, which were the genesis of _Stars Above_. Personal thanks to SPB, my longtime editor, proofreader, sounding board, and spirit-brother, for keeping me on track and reining me in when necessary, and to Hikari-Luv for lending us her awesome art talents for the cover illustration. And naturally, we'd be remiss if we didn't thank Kagami Yoshimizu, Lucky Paradise, Kadokawa Pictures, Kyoto Animation, Gen Urobuchi, Akiyuki Shinbo, Atsuhiro Iwakami, Ume Aoki, Yuki Kajiura, Studio SHAFT, Aniplex, and all of the cast and crew involved with the creation and production of both _Lucky Star_ and _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_. You built the worlds we love to play in._

_And on a more personal note, the story is dedicated to Sierra and Kathleen Greer Stanley, both of whom passed away during its writing. I love you, I miss you, and I'll keep you in my heart, always._

_- BHS_

**A few words from Forzare:**

_Two and a half years... It seems so much longer than that since BHS and I left the RP that started it all for greener pastures. There's a lot of that time I'd frankly like to forget, but the inspiration it granted the two of us can't be underestimated. Emboldened by new ideas, each of us took different elements to create something new, and honestly _better_ than the original. I took a basic framework of plot and concepts to form the foundation of my original story Nil (which I won't bother you with a link to, since it's on hiatus for the foreseeable future), where Brian mostly took characters and dynamics and relationships to cobble together a beginning to this story that you lovely people are about to finish reading after so long._

_In a lot of ways, Brian is the kind of writer I wish I was. He can keep writing thousands upon thousands of words - good words - over the course of years and see a project to the bitter end. There are hiatuses and silences, of course. Writing is creativity, and creativity is one of the hardest things there is. He has a grasp of characterization and pacing and plot that I only really aspire to. I'm just the broad idea guy. He's the one who goes from "hey, WHAT IF the Demons were based on the circles of Hell from Dante's Inferno?" and "WOULDNT IT BE COOL IF Homura and Kagami fell in love?" to the story you've all invested so much time in._

_I wanna thank Brian for being cool and all of you for reading this, plus all the people he already thanked. _

_I'll take my bow, but he's the one that deserves the standing ovation._

_- Ben_

_Thanks, bro. And now, without further ado… here's the final chapter. _

_- BHS and Forzare, April 2014_

_[Lyrics are excerpted from "Let It Be" (Remastered), written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, © 1970 Apple Records]_

* * *

><p>"<em>Omnia vincit Amor; et nos cedamus Amori."<em> - Virgil, _Eclogues_ X.69

**STARS ABOVE**

**FINAL CHAPTER: Forever**

**Hikawa Shrine, Omiya**

Surrounded on all sides. Unable to stand. Movement hampered by crushing force. Outnumbered by twenty to one. Running low on magic, and facing an enemy of nigh-incomprehensible size, strength, and power… "This… is pretty bad," said Kagami to Homura, clasping the Puella Magi's hand tightly in her own.

At her back, Homura nodded slowly. "I... agree."

The horde of rotting Kagami and Homura duplicates turned slowly around them in circles, whispering to themselves. They weren't attacking, though their targets were largely helpless… perhaps it was an intimidation tactic. Or perhaps they intended to wait, and take their sweet time with whatever torture Desideria had in mind, knowing there was no need to hurry, nowhere for their prey to go. Their bone swords and bows rattled ominously against each other as they shuffled back and forth.

The intense pressure from above finally drove Kagami down to both knees. Still she kept a death grip on Kurokami's hilt. Damned if she would die lying face-down in the dirt. Instead, she'd die _kneeling_… not much of an improvement. _But worth something. Yeah, that'll show her,_ she thought darkly. The humor, such as it was, was made even more bitter by the knowledge that after all this fighting, all this struggle and pain and anguish, not only would she never see Tsukasa again, but now Konata was likely gone as well. She and Homura were the only ones left to face the Demon, and barely in a position to fight. Once the two of them were dead... or worse... there would be no one left to take up the battle. Desideria would spread unimpeded throughout the multiverse, just as her Mother once threatened to do, and all would be lost. Tears stung in her eyes. The miraculous powers she and Konata were given, and Homura's second chance… when they died, it would all go to waste. All for nothing. How could she-

"It's all right," said Homura softly, squeezing her hand. The pressure from above made it hard to breathe or even speak, but she forced the words out anyway. "We fought… a good fight. We'll _continue_… to fight, to resist… even if we can't stand... until the end. And I promise you…" Here she looked back at Kagami, her eyes set with determination. "... we'll die… upright."

Kagami smiled back at her. How strange… once again, it was like Homura knew what she was thinking. "At least… we gave her hell…"

"Yes… we did." As she said those words, Homura battled with her own strange thought… with Kagami at her back, she wasn't as afraid of what lay ahead, however horrible it might be. Were they both moments from their deaths? Most likely. But Homura had already lost her once, and she thought she had lost her twice more already tonight. This time, there would be no separating them. She resolved with all her heart to keep an iron grip on Kagami's hand, even as reality itself collapsed around them… when the end came, they would go together.

High above them, the paradox Demon pushed another bony, scythed arm out of its depths. With a savage downward thrust, its blade tore a gaping slash in the sky, adding to the growing number around it.

* * *

><p><em>Soon.<em>

The mice were caught in the trap. In moments, they would stop scratching.

Just a few more cuts, a few more tears.

Stall them just a little longer.

Wait just a little longer.

She could almost see…

_Soon._

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

_Well, great._

Konata gagged and coughed, spitting up more blood as she flailed at the tongue-arm encircling her neck. Dark spots danced in her vision as she gasped for another breath. She got one, just barely, but it _hurt…_ So much for her magic, or whatever it was that blocked the pain of her injury before. With the bone spear fully plunged into her back, it was now as if white-hot magma coursed through her belly. The Demon's new, oversized minion was strangling her bit by bit, and every move she made jostled the remnants of the spear. To say nothing of the wall…

The wall. Cold, grey, and slimy, she felt it suckling at her body, slowly pulling her into itself. Already her feet and ankles were swallowed by it, lost to sight. Her thighs and lower torso were half-submerged in its flesh. And the minion kept pushing, causing her head and neck to sink deeper.

If she could only focus enough to summon Konaginata. If the damn thing would just let her _breathe_ for the half-second it would take to concentrate and call for it… but every time she thought about it, the coils of the arm tightened and her consciousness wavered. As if it wasn't hard enough trying not to pass out from the pain. Passing out was tempting, very tempting, but Miyuki couldn't afford that. Kagami, Homura, and _especially_ Tsukasa couldn't afford that. Fixing her bleary eyes on the minion's horrible eyeless mockery of a face, she tried to grimace at it and thought, _Damn you, let _go_ already…_

_"Not a chance,"_ the minion hissed in Desideria's voice. _"I can hear you, Kona-chan. I can hear you, and I'm listening to your thoughts as you realize how helpless you are… I'm going to listen even when you're buried in my wall, you know. I want to hear the very moment your life fades out. What will you think of, I wonder? In your last seconds, will you think of your precious Kagamin, and how you failed to make her love you, how you failed to make her pleasure you like you always wanted her to...?"_

Konata's attempted grimace turned into a genuine scowl. _Okay, so you can hear my thoughts? Here's a thought: Fuck you._ For good measure, she let go of the tongue-arm with one hand and shakily raised her middle finger at the minion.

She paid dearly for that; the tongues squeezed her neck harder than ever, so hard that her vision turned entirely black for several heart-stopping seconds. The wall behind her lurched, fully engulfing her legs up to her mid-thighs, and she now felt the sickening moist grey flesh tugging on the back of each ear. _Dammit…!_

"K-Konata… san…" Miyuki gasped and reached for her… and let out a plaintive, choking cry as the tongue-arm tightened on her own neck. She could barely see Konata now; the grey flesh was clamped tightly around the back of her skull, making it near-impossible to turn her head. Her thoughts were a frantic buzz: _No… it can't happen like this, it can't… Not before I save Tsukasa! Have to fight back, have to _move_... but I can hardly breathe…_

_"As for _you…_"_ Desideria spoke through the minion as it turned to the other girl. _"Perhaps for _you_ I'll restrain myself… just a little. Maybe I'll leave _just_ your pretty eyes uncovered, as a thank-you for all that you've helped me. Yes, I think I'd like that. You'll still suffocate, but as you die, you can watch…"_ A third tongue-arm burst from the minion's back in a spray of moisture, tipped with the same asymmetrical, curving glass claws that Miyuki's duplicate had sprouted. The third arm weaved lazily back and forth through the air for a few moments, then turned, folding and interlocking its claws into a single lance-like unit aimed at Tsukasa's tomb.

_"You can watch,"_ said Desideria, _"while I kill your reason for living. How badly will you break, Miyuki-chan, if you don't have the thought of her to cling to? Poor little Tsukasa-chan… she'll never know. She'll never know that you truly _did_ love her…"_

_ No…!_ Miyuki thrashed in the confines of the wall, putting her hands back on the arm and trying again to pry it off her neck. The struggle drew from what little air she had left, but she didn't care… Tsukasa, she had to save Tsukasa, her only chance at redemption, at forgiveness. She had to know, had to know if-

"You _bit-_ _ghhh_…" Konata thought she heard her ears popping as the coils squeezed harder than ever, cutting off her attempt to fight the minion before it could start. Or maybe it was her blood vessels that had popped. Maybe she was already as good as dead… The wall pressed on her cheeks, started to crawl over her face.

They could _hear_ the smile in the Demon's voice, cruel and merciless. _"So much for magical girls. So much for _love_…_ _Watch carefully, and remember this pain. This is all love ever gets you in the end."_

The third arm hurtled forward, lance-claws gleaming…

And as it touched the surface of the tomb…

A spark...

There was a sick, wet tearing sound that filled the chamber. The lance-claws vanished into a white portal set directly over Tsukasa's heart... and were shortly followed by the rest of the arm, ripped free from the minion's body, its end spraying black blood. Its screech of pain, piercing as it was, was drowned out by another sound…

The cracking of ice.

The tomb that had held Tsukasa bound for weeks split and crumbled, its detritus absorbed into the white portal that hovered over her chest. With it gone, she floated nearly a meter off the floor, finally shedding the tears that had been frozen in her eyes that night. A calm expression of ultimate grace settled on her features as she put her hands over her heart…

And Konata, Miyuki, and the Demon watched in astonishment as she changed.

Swallowed by a pillar of white light, they saw her wings form first, bursting from her back, white and feathered. There were clouds within them; the tip of each feather transitioned from a cloud's darkened, fluffy, rounded borders to a peaceful sky blue. Her candy-striped t-shirt and jean shorts were swiftly covered over by sable black robes edged with madder red… like miko robes, but shorter-hemmed, easier to move in. A golden ring resolved on her left third finger, topped with a gleaming onyx star, the heart at its center straining its borders as it pulsed. And on her left wrist, the wooden beads of the hawthorn bracelet the false Miyuki had given her shattered one by one, dark shells breaking to reveal _tama_ beads carved of flawless white pearls underneath.

Tsukasa floated to the chamber floor, slowly opened her starry eyes still wet with tears, and faced the minion, deathly afraid but with no intention whatsoever of backing down. "Leave… my friends… _alone._"

A venomous hiss issued forth from the minion as it turned to her. Half of each of its remaining arms came away with it… the other halves fused their severed edges to the chamber wall and continued strangling and shoving their victims inward. _"Tsukasa-chan…"_ snarled Desideria. _"I should have guessed you would wake up. You think of yourself as a proper heroine, don't you? Little sleeping beauty, rising from slumber to save her friends..."_

"They're not just my f-friends…" Tsukasa's voice trembled, but she held her ground. "They're the people that I l-love… that l-love _me._ And I'm…" She swallowed and put her hand over her bracelet. "I'm _s-sick_ of you hurting them…!"

In a slow, deliberate dance, the minion and the new magical girl circled each other.

"_Love…" _Desideria spit the word out in disgust. Her warped voice took on the sound of Tsukasa's own. _"Hasn't your 'love' done enough damage, Tsukasa-chan? Look around you… see how much destruction I've caused, how much despair I've inflicted with it, because of it. It was so _easy_…"_

"Th-that wasn't love." Her heart was pounding away at a dangerous rate; she hoped the Demon couldn't hear it… Calm. She had to remain calm, though she wanted to scream… Konata and Miyuki were counting on her. Emboldened by the thought of them, she swallowed and continued: "S-something like you… can never understand _real_ love."

"_Maybe I can't,"_ Desideria sneered, _"but I understand _lust_… I made you feel it. I made you _want_ me. You _gave_ yourself to me, gave me your body… you little _slut._"_

The word stung Tsukasa as if she had been slapped in the face. She came to a dead stop, her eyes brimming with new tears. "I…"

"_Just like a whore, just like a common whore. Do you even realize what you _did?_ You betrayed your friends, your family, yourself, everything you stood for, just for a little more pleasure. One more night with me. One more climax…"_ The minion crept closer, its serpentine arms regenerating bit by bit. Its voice shifted… now it sounded like Miyuki, dripping with false sympathy. _"But I understand, Tsukasa-chan. You couldn't help yourself. No human can. Lust is buried somewhere in all of your hearts… it's only natural that you give in to it. You liked how it felt, didn't you? Exploring. Tasting. Discovering new ways to feel pleasure, ways that you never imagined. How many different things did we try? I have the full memories of a million human lives, and even _I_ don't think I can count them all…"_

Tsukasa's knees gave out. She clapped her hands over her ears, trying to block out the voice, but it filtered through and sank into her like poison… Her wings drooped, and the heart inside her onyx jewel dimmed and slowed its pulsing. "S-stop…! S-stop it…"

"_Poor Tsukasa-chan. It hurts, doesn't it? It must hurt so much, confronting all the things you've done, all the sins you've committed… Not all of it was me, you know. I pushed, I suggested, I even manipulated from time to time, but not all of it was me… not all of it was my fault. _You_ made the decision to run away all on your own, without my help."_

"No…" Heavy sobs wracked Tsukasa's body, and her tears spattered in fat droplets on the grey floor. To hear these things, these truths, was agony enough. To hear them in Miyuki's voice was torture. Before her, she felt the void open, vast and black...

Inside the wall, Konata growled and strained, sinking faster than ever, losing more air by the second, her consciousness rushing in and out like tides. _Damn it, Tsukasa, don't listen to her! Don't listen to a word she says! You can do it, you can fight her, I know you can!_

Inside the wall, a choked sob filtered from Miyuki's lips as the coils constricted her throat. With darkness consuming her vision, she stretched out her unburied hand, praying that Tsukasa would see it, that she would know to go on, to stand up again. _Please… please, fight it. Please…_

The minion circled around behind Tsukasa. Its regenerated hands formed long, thin fingers that draped themselves gently over the girl's shoulders. _"I understand,"_ Desideria cooed, leaning down to her ear. _"It hurts… it hurts so badly that you can't stand it. But I can give you a way to escape… escape the pain, escape the fighting. It'll be just like drifting off to sleep. All you have to do… is hate me. And _keep_ hating me."_

Tsukasa remained silent, hovering on the edge of the void. Her onyx Heart Jewel shuddered.

"_I think I know how your magic works now, yes. Love and hate… two sides of the same coin, just like hope and despair, right? If love can give you power, so can hate… but love is so _hard_, isn't it? Fighting for it means a lifetime of struggle, for uncertain rewards… Hate is simple. Hate is _easy_. Lose yourself in it, and take your revenge on me. I deserve it, so go on. Become more powerful than you thought possible. Hate me… and set yourself free of me. It's the only way..."_

There was truth in the words. Awful truth, but truth nonetheless. Love was painful, love was difficult. Love meant facing the terrible things she had done, accepting them, and moving on to face the next battle, and the next, and however many were in the future, until it was all finally over. In contrast, hate was a sweet, immediate release from trouble and hardship… after which, she knew she could rest.

_And I'm so tired. Tired of pain._

A thin black aura swam around Tsukasa's body. Her eyes began to glow with eerie light.

_I don't really want to fight, anyway..._

That was true. She was Tsukasa: weak, slow, sleepyheaded, scatterbrained Tsukasa. Kagami was the strong one. Kagami was the fighter. If she and her twin had switched places… Kagami would be willing to confront what she had done, would accept the pain, and would come out stronger afterward. Kagami… Kagami was so strong…

And what was she? Timid. Passive. Slow to anger, always doing whatever was possible to avoid a confrontation. What good was she, anyway? What had made her think that she had the power to fight as a magical girl? She tried to remember, but it was so hard to think…

The onyx Heart Jewel trembled, hairline cracks appearing in its surface.

What made her think she could fight in the first place? What reason was there to stand? She could have slept in her icy tomb for the rest of time, so why had she woken herself up?

The answer, when she came across it, was so unlikely that she almost passed it over, so surprising that she might have fainted in shock.

It was, of all things, something the Demon had said.

Tsukasa flexed the fingers of her left hand, feeling the weight of the new ring that bore her Heart Jewel. Now she knew why it was there. Now she knew how best to use her weapon, the beaded _tama_ bracelet on her wrist. Now she knew its name…

Still kneeling on the chamber floor, she reached up for the minion's hand on her shoulder, clutched it tight in her own…

And there was a tearing sound, a flash of white light, and a scream of pain and shock as the minion lost its left arm. The severed limb shrank down and vanished into one of the beads on Tsukasa's bracelet. The bead's center darkened for a moment before regaining its pearly sheen.

"_You little BITCH…!"_ roared Desideria's voice, as the minion pressed its remaining hand over the bleeding stump, black ooze staining its interwoven tongues.

Tsukasa stood up. The thin aura of blackness that surrounded her faded, as did the eerie glow in her eyes… now they were filled with tears and starlight. Her cloudy wings spread wide behind her.

"You're right," she whispered. Her voice was laden with sorrow, but gentle and serene at the same time. "L-love… is hard. I… I can see why you hate it so much. It hurts you, doesn't it? It hurts, and you think it's not worth the pain…"

"_Shut up,"_ snarled the Demon through her minion. It charged toward Tsukasa, curling the tongue-fingers of its arm into a tightly compacted fist. _"Shut up, shut up, shut UP! Filthy little _cunt_, I _lied_ to you, made you lie to your _friends_, your _family_, _yourself… _I deceived you, I manipulated you, I _raped_ you! Hate me… HATE ME!" _It brought its fist thundering down…

Tsukasa raised her arms and spread her hands. Her bracelet's beads shone brightly…

… and the fist crashed harmlessly against a wall of white light.

Howling with rage, the minion hammered impotently against it, each of its blows caught and absorbed by the wall. It flexed, but would not break.

Tsukasa looked up at its horrible, eyeless face, and gave it a trembling, sad smile. "I feel sorry for you," she said softly.

A harrowing scream of frustration filled the chamber. The minion's punches rained down on Tsukasa's wall harder than ever. _"Why?! You, all of you… I hate you…! I hate you, I hate you… hate…"_

"I know," said Tsukasa, shaken by the assault, but still standing. "I understand. Everything's so dark and messed-up inside you that you can't _help_ but hate us. It's all you know. Even with all the memories you have, even if you're pretending to be someone else... You can recognize love, try to understand it, try to imitate it, or make it into something ugly like you… but you can't really have it. You can't feel it for yourself. It makes you crazy… It's sad, and I wish I could help you, but I can't…"

The minion reared back as if in pain, pawing at its shapeless head. Desideria's words oozed venom as she snarled, her voice livid with fury. _"Then kill me…! Kill me… and lose the only one that completely understands you, who knows you inside and out, who can provide you with everything you need. Doom yourself to living half-empty! You know you'll never have the love or happiness you had with me! That thought will eat away at you, slowly destroy you, for the rest of your pathetic life…!"_

"You're wrong. You're wrong, and I understand now," said Tsukasa, her voice rising. "What I had with you… You knew what I wanted, but not what I _needed_. I only thought I loved you, because it felt so good… and I've been so _stupid_. That's me, that's who I am: stupid and slow and clumsy and naïve enough to think that that was love… but as stupid as I was, I know now… it was _never_ love! And I feel sorry for you…" Here Tsukasa gathered her wall of light in between her hands, shaped it into a ball… "... because you _did_ recognize real love... by accident!"

The minion righted itself. Its fist swelled, expanded to the size of a boulder. Desideria's voice shook with something new… uncertainty. _"You… you're lying…"_

"You made a mistake." Tsukasa smiled proudly. "You made a big mistake, and _that's_ what woke me up. With all the lies you've told, you never even noticed yourself telling the truth. If you _did_ notice, you didn't care... you just thought it would hurt more. You said…" Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. "... you said that Miyuki loves me."

The minion froze. The Demon's voice faltered. _"I…"_

"Almost everything you've ever said to me was a lie, but _that_ was the truth," said Tsukasa, her Heart singing with bittersweet joy. "You said it, and I heard it. That's what set me free…"

"_It doesn't matter…" _growled Desideria. _"It doesn't matter! Your sister and your friends are all dying… and I'll crush you like an insect before you can do anything about it…!"_ With that, the minion charged, raising its boulder-fist high…

Tsukasa ran forward to meet it. Focusing the power of the ball of light into her left hand, praying desperately that she wouldn't trip on her robes and fall in mid-charge, she reared back, the beads of her bracelet blurring and spinning like a wheel around her wrist, put all her strength behind this one punch…

Her hand sank into the spongy grey tongues of the minion's stomach. Its body lit up from within like a lantern, white light shining from the gaps between the tongues for a split-second…

… and all the kinetic energy from the rain of blows that the wall of light had absorbed was turned back on it at once, in one massive, three-meter beam of concussive power. It drove the minion's broken body into the chamber wall between where Konata and Miyuki had disappeared, then pierced _through_ it, out the other side…

And Tsukasa smiled, for her weapon had worked just as she hoped it would. She could feel it absorbing more energy, more magic, even now. Powered by her love… by her Heart. Maybe not quite as potent or destructive as hate, but strong enough. Strong enough to help her sister and her dear friends whom she loved so much…

Her friends. She closed her eyes and concentrated, feeling for their Hearts inside the confines of the wall. She found them, seeing a cool blue glow for Konata and a sweet pink one for Miyuki. Her weapon could do far more than absorb magic and energy… it could _attract_ it. And so she attracted the two Hearts, commanded them to come _out…_

The two trapped girls ripped free of what was left of the chamber wall, soaked and gasping for breath, but alive. They were alive.

Tsukasa let out a sigh of relief, dropped to her knees, and cradled her bracelet in her right hand. The pearl beads were warm and smooth to the touch. "Good job, Yukitamashii," she whispered, saying its name aloud for the first time. "Good job. Thank you..."

* * *

><p><strong>Hikawa Shrine, Omiya<strong>

Kagami and Homura stood up so fast that they almost pulled a few muscles apiece. The pressure… the crushing pressure from above wasn't just lessened, it was _gone_.

Flexing her stiff shoulders, Kagami hefted her sword and stared down the closest minion. _Now_ they didn't look quite so terrifying… Bewildered, she briefly looked back at Homura. "What the hell just happened?"

"I don't-" Homura began.

She was cut off by a scream of rage and frustration from the rift above. Part of its mouth's interior rippled, and a thin, straight beam of pure white light burst from inside, leaving a bright streak across the sky. With it came a very small figure, fired out of the rift like a shot from a cannon… the beam carried it more than a full mile before it fell away and was lost to the night sky, crashing down somewhere far over the horizon.

Homura opened her mouth to finish her sentence… then thought the better of it as she saw Kagami return to battle with renewed fervor. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm making a hole!" Kagami's grin was honestly a little bit frightening as she lashed out with her sword, cleaving limbs from minions with wild abandon. "If that was what I _think_ it was, I want to take a closer look!"

Homura smiled lightly, and fired a pistol into the head of the nearest minion without even looking back to confirm the kill. "You know, without the pressure, there _is_ an easier way…"

"What do you- Oh. _Oh._" A faint sheepish tinge colored Kagami's cheeks as she flexed her wings. "Almost forgot. These are really gonna take some getting used to… Anyway, you ready to fly again?"

"Always."

The two joined hands, and once more they ascended, Homura's jagged space wings flaring from her back to beat in time with Kagami's starry feathered ones. The crowd of minions clawed at them, clinging at their feet and ankles, but they couldn't stop them… A thought from Kagami sent them scattering backward like ninepins, ripped away from them by a circular shockwave of her repelling energy. Unhindered, Kagami and Homura rose together.

* * *

><p><strong>Within Desideria<strong>

_"Kona-chan…"_

Konata groaned, her eyelids fluttering. She supposed she must have blacked out from the loss of air… or perhaps she was dead. The latter was more likely, considering how warm she was. Gone was the horrible, wet, crushing dampness of the Demon's inner walls. More telling, her wound wasn't hurting anymore… _Yep,_ she thought. _Definitely dead. Dammit, this sucks. I only got less than two hours as a magical girl, I never even got to-_

"It's all right, Kona-chan," said the voice. "You're gonna be okay…"

And she knew that voice… it deeply saddened her to think that Tsukasa was dead too, but at least they were together. "Easy for you to say," she muttered thickly. "I never got to see the Aya Hirano concert in October. All that money for the tickets, wasted…"

Tsukasa's voice giggled. "Didn't you hear me? You're gonna be _okay_, Kona-chan! Just one more pull, and-"

"Huh?" Konata opened her eyes. The lavender and pink blur above her slowly resolved into Tsukasa's features. Her eyes were reddened, her cheeks tear-stained, but she was smiling. How Konata had missed that smile… "H-hey there," she said. "What did you mean, one more-"

A sharp cry escaped Tsukasa's lips as she yanked something free. Once more, Konata felt the faint burning sensation of magma in her belly, mostly blocked, but still intense… and then, as Tsukasa laid her hands on the wound, the pain cooled, lessened… and went away entirely. Konata, to her astonishment, felt good as new. "Wait a minute, how…?"

Tsukasa whimpered and shuddered, her features contorting in pain as she clutched at her left wrist. One of the _tama_ beads on her bracelet had turned from white to ugly, bloody red. "J-just a m-minute," she panted. "_Agh_… I-I'll be f-fine in j-just…" And as Konata watched, the red color drained away from the bead, leaving it pristine white once more. Tsukasa sighed and relaxed, dropping the stained remains of the bone spear. "All done, you're fine. You can sit up now, if you want."

Konata did, immediately looking down at her bare midriff. The spear was gone, the wound was gone. Only a faint, pale, puckered scar was left where it had been. She wasn't just fine, she was better than ever. But _how-_

The realization hit her like a runaway truck: she wasn't dead. Tsukasa wasn't dead. They were _alive_… which meant… "Tsukasa," she said, sporting the biggest cat-smile she could manage. "Tsukasa, you _did_ it…!"

Tsukasa squeaked in surprise as Konata suddenly threw her arms around her and hugged her tight. "E-easy, Kona-chan! Don't move too fast!"

"You _did_ it!" said Konata giddily, her friend's advice flying over her head. "You broke out, you _beat_ her, you're a magical girl just like me and Miyuki-san…! Holy crap, Tsukasa, _you did it!_"

A shaky laugh bubbled up from inside Tsukasa as she returned the hug and patted her friend's back. "I guess I did…"

"And I _missed_ it!" Konata pulled away, her tone dropping to one of bitter disappointment as she looked over her shoulder to the ragged hole in dozens of layers of Demon flesh. She then turned back to Tsukasa. "I missed you taking that monster out… and it looks like you _p__wned_ it, too! Damn it, that sucks!"

"It's okay, Kona-chan." Tsukasa smiled bashfully. "It wasn't that exciting, honest."

"Tsukasa…" The quiet voice came from several feet away. Miyuki stood, leaning on the shaft of her hammer for support. Behind her lenses, her eyes swam with conflicting emotions: gratitude, sorrow, pain, guilt… "Tsukasa," she said again.

Tsukasa swallowed heavily. She carefully unwrapped herself from Konata's embrace and got to her feet. "H-hello, Miyuki…"

"I…" What was there to say? What thanks, what apology, could Miyuki possibly offer her for all the pain she had been through? All the words she came up with in her head sounded hopelessly feeble and inadequate. Tears stung her eyes… this had all been her fault, and now her secret feelings were exposed…

The silence between them hung there, growing colder and more uncomfortable with each passing second.

_I need to say something,_ thought Miyuki. _I need to say _something_, even if it's stupid, even if it sounds terrible…_ "I'm glad you're all right," she finally blurted out. Her cheeks promptly turned red with embarrassment.

"I… I'm glad you are, too." Tsukasa smiled, but the expression quivered on her lips.

Konata gingerly stood up as well, looking from one friend to the other. "You guys…" she began, but nothing she could come up with to finish that sentence sounded appropriate.

Throwing caution to the wind, Miyuki raised her hand. "I-"

And with that motion, Tsukasa flinched as if she had been struck.

"Oh God," stammered Miyuki. "I didn't even think! Tsukasa, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I-it's okay," said Tsukasa shakily. "I know you didn't-"

"You must... _h-hate_ me," said Miyuki with a heavy sob... and it all burst out of her like rapids from a broken dam: all the pent-up anxiety and stress; all the tears she had held back; the horrific pain that Desideria's words and actions had caused her; the crippling fear that she would never see her friends again, or that she would someday, somehow return to her dark and silent prison in the glass, or that she would never be right, be _normal_ again; the confusion of the bizarre strangeness that her life had spiraled into since spring; the anger and grief at having four months of her life stolen, lived by something else, something inhuman that didn't care about the hurt that it caused them all… Miyuki broke down, letting it all go at once.

"Whoa, Miyuki! Miyuki, it's okay!" Konata stumbled to her friend's side, still wobbly and a bit stiff. Unable to find Miyuki's heaving shoulder underneath the folds of her heavy robes, she settled on gently rubbing her back. "It's gonna be okay, honest… C'mon, you're gonna get _me_ started…!"

"I… I'm s-sorry…" choked Miyuki through the rivers of tears. "I c-can't…"

Tsukasa stood in place, at a loss. Part of her wanted to run to Miyuki, throw her arms around her and tell her everything was going to be all right, damn the consequences. But that would be a lie; it _wasn't_ going to be all right. The wounds Desideria had inflicted on them both still lay open. A small, horrible part of herself, a part that she despised, couldn't even _look_ at Miyuki without feeling revulsion and betrayal.

It wasn't Miyuki's fault, she knew that. That _thing_ had used her form, her memories, her feelings. It wore her skin and her clothes, and had used them to play Tsukasa and everyone else like fiddles. She knew that now.

That knowledge didn't change things. Tsukasa swallowed heavily and put her hands on her chest. Just thinking about all the things she had done with the Demon, done _because_ of her, made her stomach churn: skipping class to be with her. Slipping out late at night, going secretly to the most dangerous parts of the city. Having sex. Lying. Stealing. Betraying the trust of her family and her friends. Thinking it was all worth it. And never questioning, never suspecting that it was all a lie.

But it _wasn't._ Not all of it. That knowledge had pulled her out of her tomb and away from the void. Desideria's mockery of love and affection had not been created from the whole cloth… there had been grains of truth buried within it. Miyuki loved her.

Miyuki loved her.

Tsukasa didn't know how to feel about that.

So she closed her eyes and tried to think about the _real_ Miyuki, not the impostor that had seduced her. Sweet, gentle Miyuki, the most ladylike and mature of the group. The walking encyclopedia, always ready with a fact or definition. The "embodiment of _moe_", as Konata would say. Miyuki, who was deathly afraid of dentists and things being put in her eyes. Miyuki, who had ruined her eyesight with too many nights staying up reading. Miyuki, who lived in a big fancy house and came from a rich family, but wasn't stuck-up or snobbish in the least.

_That_ was the Miyuki who truly loved her.

Tsukasa bit the inside of her lip and clutched at her robes. She didn't know. She didn't know what would happen now. If they tried to be friends and pretend nothing had happened, the pain and trauma would be buried underneath… but it would still be there, and someday it would erupt back to the surface. She didn't even want to contemplate what would happen to them when it did… and it _was_ "when", not "if".

If they confronted it and parted ways… it would hurt. It would probably hurt like hell as they went back over it, and hurt even more if they decided to separate. But in time, the pain would fade. They would move on. But that was hardly better, was it? Parting, and losing Miyuki as a friend… she didn't ever want that to happen.

And if they tried to have a relationship, a _romantic_ relationship like she and Desideria had had… Tsukasa shuddered and felt bile rise in her throat. No. _God_, no. The thought of _that_, with the wounds this fresh, only made her feel more filthy, more defiled than she did already.

So what was the answer?

There probably wasn't one.

But if she just stood there and let Miyuki cry… then it was a victory for the Demon.

Tsukasa swallowed, wiped her eyes, and took a few steps forward. She couldn't repress her shuddering, every inch of her skin was crawling, though she _knew_ this was Miyuki, the _real_ Miyuki, her friend, the one who had risked her life and sanity to save her. Shaking like a leaf, she came to Miyuki's side, and reached out to touch her…

… then pulled back. She couldn't. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't. Not right now.

So instead, she whispered: "I… I forgive you."

Perhaps part of that was a lie. Perhaps there was still some resentment buried down deep inside her. Maybe it would resurface in the coming days… it seemed likely.

But right now, it was what she needed to say, what Miyuki needed to hear.

It was enough.

Miyuki pulled back her hood and looked up at Tsukasa through lenses fogged with tears. "Ts-Tsukasa…?"

Tsukasa took a step back, giving her space… but she nodded, bit her lip, and said it again. "I forgive you, Miyuki. It's… it's hard… and it's gonna be hard… for both of us. But if I don't forgive you… if I let her drive us apart..." She looked around at the walls of grey dead flesh and shuddered. "... she wins."

Half of Miyuki's heart sank, and paradoxically, the other half sang for joy. "Tsukasa…" she breathed, finding the strength to stand upright, take off her glasses, and dry her eyes… Tsukasa forgave her.

That meant, presumably, that Tsuaksa didn't hate her.

It wasn't much, but…

It was enough.

"Th-thank you," she said, nodding and sniffling as she put her glasses back on. "Thank you. For saving us, for everything."

And Konata, a little embarrassed to be caught in the middle of this show of powerful emotion, did one of the things she did best: snark. "Guys, this is great and all, but we'd better not go all weepy shoujo manga yet," she said, forcing a cat-smile. "We still have to get out of here… and Tsukasa, there's somebody down below that's waiting for you. Waiting for _us_," she corrected herself.

Tsukasa gasped, felt her heart flutter with impossible hope. _"Onee-chan,"_ she whispered, looking out at the starry sky through the hole in the Demon's body.

"That's right," said Konata, with a genuine smile this time. "Kagamin's here. Akemi-san, too! They're both fighting for us! And hey, you still haven't seen- Man, Tsukasa, I just realized! You two totally match!"

"'Match?'" Tsukasa blinked.

"I'm not gonna spoil it." Konata grinned. "You'll just have to see for yourself. Think you can fly with those?" she asked, indicating Tsukasa's cloudy wings.

A little bewildered, Tsukasa shrugged and flexed them. "I… I can try…"

"And Miyuki-san, you can fly too, right?"

Miyuki nodded and adjusted her glasses. "I… I flew here on Heshioru." For emphasis, she morphed the hammer back into its book form. "I enlarged it, and rode it like a flying carpet..."

"Cool!" said Konata, giving her a hefty clap on the back that made the other girl jump. "Not as cool as Konaginata and her sky glider thingy, but a book _totally_ suits your character type better, Miyuki-san." Summoning her bladed staff to her hand, she grinned at both her friends. Finally, the group was coming back together. And she already had an idea… but that could wait until after the reunion. "Now, let's get out of here. I've had enough Demon intestines to last a lifetime."

* * *

><p><strong>Above Hikawa Shrine<strong>

She saw them in the distance, but refused to believe it.

She saw their shapes as they approached, but she refused to believe it.

She heard their voices calling out, but she refused to believe it.

Only when they finally met, only when Kagami took her precious twin sister in her arms and hugged her tight and bawled her eyes out did Kagami believe it.

Tsukasa. She was here. She was alive. They were together again.

The sisters floated together, two black starry wings and two white cloudy wings beating together in concert, embracing as they had never embraced before.

Konata and Miyuki allowed them just over a minute to themselves. That was all they could stand. After that, they couldn't help themselves any longer. They flew close to join in the hug, laughing and crying at once. Each tried to talk over the other, their words muffled by emotion and by the thinness of the air so that they could barely understand each other.

"Miyuki, you _too?!_"

"Um, well..."

"She was terrific, both of them were! You should've seen it!"

"_Onee-chan_, I'm so sorry! I'm so-"

"Shhh, that's enough. You can apologize when we finish this."

"A giant book that turns into an ice hammer, it's _brilliant_-"

"God, you're all wet! Get away from me before you ruin my clothes! What in the- is that _blood?!_ You idiot, what _happened_ to you in there?!"

"Sorry, we- _Iya!_ Watch it, Kagamin, that _hurts!_"

"I _told_ you... to be _careful…!_"

"It's all right, she'll be all right, I healed her-"

"Ooof! Oh dear, p-pardon me, I-I'm still not quite used to balancing yet… could you hand me my glasses before they fall, please?"

"Sorry! Here you go-"

"- pounded her flat as a pancake, no kidding-"

And during this tearful reunion, Homura hung back and hovered in silence, taking up the charge of shielding herself and the four friends, maintaining a barrier around them all. She glared up at the rift, _daring_ Desideria to interrupt. Surely even the Demon, distorted and insane as she was, wouldn't be so stupid as to try to attack now. Just in case she was, however… all the power Homura could spare that wasn't maintaining her wings was poured into that shield. Most of the chatter she tuned out, electing instead to concentrate on what would happen when the battle resumed… but the occasional word that filtered through made her smile, just a little.

It was odd. Desideria seemed unresponsive, uncaring that a hole had been blown open and her prey had escaped. She wasn't moving, save for the rift's ever-wavering borders, the incomprehensible whorling of flesh inside, and the pulsing of the roots buried in the temple grounds. She wasn't speaking, not even to rain frustrated curses upon them. In fact, now that Homura thought about it, Desideria had not spoken a word since she finished absorbing the nascent Demon from Tsukasa. She wanted to believe that it was because her adversary had destabilized enough to lose the power of speech, or that she had given up… but she knew better.

Desideria was waiting. Waiting for something.

Whatever it was she waited for, it gave Homura cause for dread.

* * *

><p>A shadow. A vague, blurred outline.<p>

Just a little longer.

She could see it, just the barest hints of a shape. A shape beyond time, beyond space, invisible to mortal sight, but not to hers. Second by second, it came into sharper focus.

It was happening. She was ascending. Every moment higher and higher.

_I'm coming for you. I'm coming… to tear you apart. To hurt you. To torture you. To violate you. To kill you. Kill. Yes. I'll kill you._

_ But not before I make you watch._

_ Not before I make you watch the mice lose their heads._

Mice. Mice in her walls, sniggering at her, laughing as they bit off pieces of her mind with their dirty yellow teeth.

Mice.

Just a little longer.

_I'm coming._

_ I can almost see…_

* * *

><p>Homura's dark thoughts were scattered into disarray as a pair of arms wrapped around her. Kagami. She had been so focused on preparing for any coming disaster that she didn't even notice her coming close. Her face was red and wet with tears, but she was smiling, and it was a sight that filled Homura with warmth and hope…<p>

How like _her_ smile it was, and at the same time, how different…

"Homura," Kagami gasped, barely resisting the urge to take her partner by the hands and spin her around in circles, like in those cheesy old movies. "Homura, they're back, they're all okay…"

"I'm glad, Kagami," she said gently, reaching out to stroke her hair. "Truly, I am."

"And... God, it's thanks to you that I have them all back-"

"Me?" Homura blinked. "I… I had nothing to do with-"

Her ears rang with Kagami's laugher. "Are you kidding?!" said Kagami. "I couldn't have made it this far, done _any_ of this, without you by my side…"

"That's not true," said Homura flatly. "You've always been-"

"Shut up." In full view of her friends and her sister, and to the accompaniment of a wild whoop of joy from Konata, Kagami kissed her, kissed her with fire and passion and sheer gratitude for being alive…

And Homura forgot. For a timeless moment, she forgot the battle, forgot her worry, forgot her old and painful sorrows. Everything was pushed away except for shared happiness, and the desire to kiss Kagami back… which she did, with relish.

They drifted gently down to the old stone path below, touching down long before their lips parted. When they finally did, it was with a giddy rush of air, an ecstatic grin from Kagami and a meek, blushing smile from Homura. Both opened their mouths at once to say something… but the words were lost. Words were unnecessary. Their eyes said it all.

One by one, Konata, Tsukasa, and Miyuki descended. Their reactions were mixed: Miyuki coughed and politely averted her eyes, Tsukasa whispered a timid but nonetheless impressed "_Onee-chan!_" and flushed pink, and Konata… Konata wore the smuggest cat-smile any of them had ever seen.

The moment Kagami finally unwrapped herself from her partner, Konata dug her elbow into her friend's ribs. "You're _definitely_ making me maid of honor."

"Sh-shut up, midget," said Kagami, brushing her off as usual. "You're such a pervert, ogling us like that…"

"_I'm _the pervert? You two are playing tonsil hockey right here out in the open for everybody to see, in front of your _sister,_ and _I'm_ the pervert?! Pot meet kettle, Kagamin. I always knew you were kinkier than you let on~."

"I really _have_ missed a lot…" mused Miyuki, wiping her glasses on the sleeve of her robes.

"Let me make this abundantly clear," Homura began bluntly, in no mood for nonsense. "Kagami and I-"

For the second time in as many minutes, she was interrupted as Tsukasa put a hand on her shoulder. "Akemi-san?"

Homura stopped and turned to face her. "Tsukasa-san? What is it?"

"I just wanted… to th-thank you." She swallowed and looked away. "For fighting so hard, I mean. For sticking with _onee-chan_ all this time. For doing your best to protect us both…" Tsukasa took a few steps back and bowed low, a few new tears dripping from her lashes. "I can't thank you enough, and I'm so sorry… for all the t-trouble I've caused. I'm so ashamed..."

Homura stared down at her for a moment, unsure of what to do. Poor Tsukasa… it was difficult to tell who among them had suffered the most from the Demon's machinations, but what she had gone through… Homura knelt to her and lifted her chin. "Tsukasa… you weren't at fault. You were manipulated, like we all were. Accepting that won't take the pain away, but…" She put her hand atop Tsukasa's Heart Jewel, felt its warmth and power. "... this is proof that you can do something to make it better. Will you fight by our side?"

Tsukasa hesitated for only a moment. Then she nodded.

"So," said Konata, smiling mischieviously, "that makes it official: we're a team. We've got… Star Black," she said, pointing at Tsukasa. "Star Pink…" Her finger traveled to Miyuki, who stammered something unintelligible in reply. "Star Blue, that's me," she continued. Then, to a baffled Homura: "Star Violet, our sixth Ranger… or fifth, in this case. And as for you, Kagamin… I know I said you're wearing the most red earlier, but your jewel's the wrong color. And I guess it wouldn't suit you to change your outfit _and_ your jewel both to red, not to mention that would mess up how you match with Tsukasa. So I guess that makes you… Star White."

Kagami blanched. "You're giving us _Sentai names?!_"

"What?! They sound cool! Besides, do you have anything better?"

"I guess not," groaned Kagami, admitting defeat… though in her mind, she turned the name over and over... Star White. _Star White._ It sounded… not bad, actually. At the very least, she could live with it.

"Star White it is, then," said Konata, nodding in satisfaction. "It works, and there's even precedent… Big One became the leader halfway through JAKQ, and there was Ninja White in Kakuranger, too! Now, we just need to come up with attack names for the rest of you..."

"Honestly," muttered Kagami. "You always-"

The rest of her sentence was drowned out as the long silence from the Demon above was broken. A high, screeching, metallic whine, one that scaled down to an earth-shaking bass rumble and back up again. From the rift there burst a dozen or more of the bony, bloodied scythe-arms, stretching out in all directions. They touched the cracks in the sky… and broke _through_ them like glass, burying themselves into the resulting jagged holes, just as the roots were buried in the earth. Again the sound wailed from the rift's mouth, high to low to high again… the ghostly light from inside spilled over like the currents of a river, leaking out of the mouth, roiling and swirling in ways that light shouldn't behave at all...

"What the hell is she _doing?!_" cried Kagami over the din, her hands clapped over her ears.

Homura gazed upward in abject horror. _"No…"_ The ashes… it was like Vittoria's ashes, which had floated up to the wounds in the sky of her world and had been cast to the winds of the multiverse…

Miyuki looked not at the rift, but at the open pages of her book, balanced on one hand. Her lenses lit up, filling with information… "The Demon," she began in disbelief, adjusting her glasses just to be sure, "... she's... _spreading_…"

"How do we _stop_ her?!" moaned Tsukasa, taking refuge behind her sister.

"I… I don't know…" What information Miyuki could summon to the book and her lenses was based on her own knowledge, what was readily available from nearby Internet sources, and what could be gathered from first-hand evidence. "I-I've never seen anything like it, so I can't-"

Homura blinked out of sight. In a heartbeat, she stood next to Miyuki, retrieving Nico's well-worn tablet from her shield. "Takara, take this," she said, laying the device onto Heshioru's pages. "It has everything my comrades and I have recorded on the Demons that we've fought, including Vittoria. It may not be of much help, but-"

All it took was turning the tablet on. Its information flooded Heshioru, and thousands of pages of new data scrolled through Miyuki's lenses in a dizzying stream. She swallowed and slowed down her perception to digest it all. "Thank you, Akemi-san, that's better… I… I see some similarities with Vittoria, but this is still far beyond anything we _or_ the Puellae Magi have ever encountered. As powerful as she was, Vittoria was just _one_ Demon. This one is… a fusion, an entity combined from several of them… Worse than that..." She trembled, clutching Heshioru so tightly that her knuckles whitened. "... I think she's trying to anchor herself, to exist not just here and now, but… but in other places…"

"What does that mean?" Tsukasa came to her side and peered over her shoulder at the book. To her, the words on the pages looked like nothing but random glowing lines of light.

"She's transcending time and space." Homura's tone was bitter with venom. "It means that even if we kill her here, she'll still exist. She'll be there in the past and future of your world, as well as in those of the other worlds. Is that right, Takara?"

Miyuki nodded shakily.

"Well, if she's anchored _here_…" Konata gripped her weapon's staff and eyed the enormous roots that connected the rift to the earth. "Can't we just cut her anchors?"

"That'll only solve part of the problem, won't it?" said Kagami. "I mean, if she can just come _back_, and if she's still there in the other worlds, where we can't reach her…"

"We can't just stand around yapping about what to do, either!"

"Konata-san is right. She seems to be... _evolving_... More with each passing second. Whatever we're going to do, we need to do it soon!"

Without thinking, Tsukasa reached for Kagami's hand, took it in her own…

… and a surge of energy filled through the two of them, intensely hot, lighting up their Heart Jewels and wrapping their bodies in shining auras...

Kagami's mouth fell open. It was nearly impossible to describe, but she somehow felt… _complete._ Like she had only been using half of her potential until now… "Wh… _now_ what's happening?!" she stammered, wondering how much more weirdness she could take in one night…

A cold, clinical voice from down by her feet answered her question. _I believe I have reached a conclusion relating to that subject,_ said Kyubey, looking up at the twins, their auras reflecting in his round red eyes.

Homura shot the Incubator a fearsome glare. "Where have you been?"

_Where else? Gathering data._ Kyubey tucked his tail around himself. _In any case... Kagami and Tsukasa Hiiragi, now that both of you have transformed, I believe the true natures of your powers can assert themselves. It's just as I said before, if you remember my theory from the night you battled the Sixth: your powers derive from opposing forces, but each has aspects of the other. Without both forces present, neither is complete. However, if you are together…_

"The two h-halves make a wh-whole," finished Tsukasa. The energy coursing through her body felt _weird…_ not _bad_, just _weird…_

_Exactly_, said Kyubey. _In theory, the two of you should now be capable of far more than before._

In Homura's mind, the gears spun… an idea was forming. A wild, possibly insane idea, but still. If what Kyubey was saying was true, if the twins' powers could complement each other… and if her own worked like she _thought_ they did… "Everyone," she said, "I have a plan."

And so she told them.

It was a plan that would require something from each of them, a plan that needed flawless teamwork and coordination to succeed. Each had their assigned task to focus on, and would need to put their complete faith in the others to finish theirs. The plan was, by its very nature, something that didn't come very easily for Homura, who had always in some way held herself apart, even when working or fighting alongside others... even during the war, when trust in her comrades was key.

This was different, though. For perhaps the first time, she placed herself as part of the group from the beginning, not as an outsider choosing to work with allies temporarily, but as a willing, interlocking piece that contributed to the whole. _Star Violet_... Konata gave her that name, in the same pattern as the ones she gave her dear friends, fully accepting her as a member of the team without a second thought. And though the name was embarrassing, a little corny, what it represented… that was something new.

A team. They were a team.

A team with a mission to carry out, a fight to finish.

The stakes were high, the danger great, the outcome uncertain.

But they would face the fight, together.

* * *

><p>Desideria began to laugh.<p>

She clawed madly through the layers like paper, and she laughed.

Close, she was so _close… _ahead of her, the shape grew larger and larger, clearer and clearer as the layers between them thinned and tore away.

_Do you see? Do you see me yet? I'm coming. I'm almost there._

_ Almost there._

Her crazed laughter reached the five down below, chilling them to their bones… but they stood in a line, and they let it wash over them without cowing to it.

The wind began to howl, to tear at them like the fangs of a maddened beast, but still they stood against it.

And Desideria found it _funny_, utterly hilarious that they thought they had a chance of stopping her now. She tried to call down to them, tell them how stupid they looked with their tiny faces so set and serious… but speaking through her real body and not a minion was very hard now. She had grown so vast, and the mice had torn so many bitemarks in her mind that the words wandered and got lost. By the time they emerged from her mouth, they were little but incoherent screams of mirth.

She tried again, focusing harder on making herself heard. _"You're… all… fools,"_ she managed. _"Small... weak... _human_ fools… Don't you know…?"_ She almost lost the words again, they devolved into shrieking giggles as they tumbled past her lips. _"I am… Desideria... the Last. All… will come… to ruin. The stars… above… will fall…"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Kagami looked up at her, right into the mouth of Hell itself.<p>

She looked at her friends, her sister, her lover, one by one, then faced the Demon again.

"Yeah, I've heard that before," she said. "Maybe they will." Her hands gripped Kurokami's hilt tight. "But until that happens, until they fall… the Stars Above will _rise._" She raised the sword high…

… and at that signal, the five Stars Above split off, each engaging their part of the plan.

* * *

><p><strong>STAR BLUE: Konata<strong>

Rushing headlong into the wind, Konata rode Konatginata like a witch's broomstick, clutching it tightly with her inner thighs. While it would have doubtless been cool to try to ride her blade in glider form in this storm, there was no sense in risking being blown off... this mission would be dangerous enough as is. So she just thought of herself as Cardcaptor Sakura riding the Sealing Wand… that was probably more appropriate, anyway, if a bit less visually impressive. As she picked up speed, though, a pair of glowing white wings burst from the staff's end… just like when Sakura used the Fly card. _Nice touch, Konaginata,_ she thought with a smile. Even better, riding it this way left her blade in place, facing ahead as she braved the wind…

Good thing, because it looked as if she would really, really need the blade in short order. The horrible mouths lining the surface of the roots opened wide, disgorging dozens… no, _hundreds_ of shapeless lumps of flesh… which shivered and sprouted limbs, bones, and _wings._ The wings were little more than long, thin, splayed fingers sheathed in translucent membranes of grey flesh, but apparently that was enough. Shrieking like the damned, the new minions took to the wind in great swarms, bearing down on each of the Stars with frightening speed.

_Shit!_ Konata ducked and spun in an aileron roll as the first of the winged creatures dived for her, its spindly arms outstretched as if to embrace her. She caught a brief glimpse of its face as it passed by, and it gave her the creeps: asymmetrical, no eyes, no features, a ragged hole for a mouth, jaw stitched to its skull, held on only by grotesque spiked wires sewn into its flesh… and it _giggled_. It giggled, a cheerful, bubbling, jolly infant's giggle... and spread its wings wide to pull out of its dive. It flapped in place for a moment, turned around, then resumed its pursuit from behind. Apparently it could see well enough, even without eyes…

The next group of minions waited ahead in a loose V-formation. Gritting her teeth, Konata poured on the speed… no time to go over, around, or under them. Konaginata's blade shone golden, growing in size until it resembled the bowsprit of a ship. Tucking her body down close to the staff, she braced herself… the closest minion rushed forward to meet her…

There was a sick, wet sound. Her weapon bucked wildly underneath her, but it pierced through and kept going, shedding a rain of black blood. Repulsed, Konata grimaced, scrubbed the residue from her face, and spit some vile-tasting fluid out of her mouth in disgust. One thing that almost never came up in magical girl anime was how _filthy_ it was to fight monsters… Sailor Moon could just turn them into dust or sparkles of light with a wave of her wand. No blood or guts to clean up for _her…_

_But then, the monsters of the week in Sailor Moon weren't ever this nasty to begin with,_ she thought. _Okay, _maybe_ the DD Girls were an exception, but_… Konata blanched, trying to put the events of that particular episode out of her mind.

Behind her, the pack of minions gave chase, shrieking and giggling and reaching for her… except for a few that lagged behind to tear the body of their fallen comrade to shreds before it could hit the ground. Soon, they too rejoined the group. Now two dozen strong, they tailed Konata relentlessly, following the glittering wake that Konaginata left behind…

_Can't shake them. And it'll take too much time to fight them off one by one. If they catch me… well, I do _not_ want to let them catch me. Nuh-uh._ She sighed. _Oh well. I was gonna save this move for the roots, but… _

Praying that her stomach could take it, Konata twisted her hips and swung around in a hard 180 degree turn. Though she and the blade now faced backward, Konaginata kept forging ahead fast as ever, straight as an arrow. The effect was more than a little disorienting, her hair blew and whipped over her shoulders. _Hope I can pull this off…_ She waited until the fingers of the minion in front just barely brushed her boot before she called out…

_"Crescent Blade Shower…!"_

The golden glow of Konaginata's blade brightened to blinding white. The weapon buzzed and hummed underneath her, growing almost uncomfortably hot, and then… A flurry of shining golden crescent-shaped discs erupted from the curving sweep of the blade in a wide spread. Composed of hard, sharpened light, they laced Konata's wake like an aerial minefield. The minions' inertia carried them through the trap, slicing them to ribbons before most of them knew what was happening. The few with enough sense to break off and dodge found the bladed crescents giving chase, catching up and sawing through their bodies if they hesitated for so much as an instant.

A warm surge of triumph blossomed in Konata's chest. It had worked… it took a big chunk from her energy, but it had worked. Now to see to her bigger problem…

The roots. She could tell by the gradual downward movement of the mouths on their surfaces that they were burrowing deeper and deeper into the earth. What would happen when they were completely entrenched, Konata didn't want to know… and she wasn't about to let the Demon find out.

She flew as close to the bulging, slick grey mass as she dared and pulled back hard, slowing into a holding pattern. A sudden tingle of fear shot up and down her spine. If this didn't work… _Stop it, _she chided herself. _It'll work. It _has_ to work. We've gotta trust Akemi-san, she knows what she's doing…_

Another, far more reasonable fear presented itself: she was now hovering hundreds of meters above the ground. Konaginata was her only means of staying aloft… and now she needed to dismount her to use her attack properly. If, by chance, she had miscalculated, if her weapon couldn't handle flying while letting off such a big blast, or if her wings disappeared once she climbed off the staff… she would fall, and that would most likely be the end, powers or no powers. Konata swallowed audibly, and beads of cold sweat ran down her back. Perhaps she should have thought this through while still on the ground…

As if that wasn't enough anxiety, as she hovered there in place, Desideria's voice surrounded her like a fog. It murmured to her as if the Demon's lips were brushing her ear… Pale, indistinct shadows surrounded her, looking vaguely like faces that she knew.

_"If you fire…" _said the Demon's voice, _"you'll lose Kagamin for good. After what's happened tonight, do you think they'll ever want to be apart again? This is your last chance. I can help you, Kona-chan. No one has to know. Let me kill Homura-chan, and you can have Kagamin all to yourself… If Homura-chan dies, Kagamin will come to _you_ for comfort in her grief. She'll be sad for a while, but she'll come to love you. That's what you _want_, isn't it?"_

The tingling in Konata's spine escalated into rivers of ice water running up and down her back. The pale shadows drew closer. Her Heart Jewel's light dimmed and wavered…

But then she set her face, her disgust for the Demon and her offer eclipsing her desires, however small and selfish. She thought of Kagami, and she had her answer. "Take your last chance and _stuff it,_" she growled. "I love Kagamin, and what I want is for her to be happy. If I can't have her… well, that's just too bad. And now you've _really_ pissed me off! In the name of the moon…" A small, bittersweet cat-smile tugged at her lips as she whispered the rest of the phrase, giving it her own spin. "... your ugly ass is _toast_."

Casting aside her fear, she swung her legs over the side of her mount and dropped off of it… there was a heart-stopping moment of terror, but only for an instant, as Konaginata's power kept her afloat, as deep down she knew it would all along. _Sorry I ever doubted you, girl._

Trembling, she gathered all her power, all her love, all her Heart, and focused it in the blade as she spun the staff, carving a circle of light around herself. When that was done, she pointed Konaginata straight at the tangled mass of roots, mentally set the spread for as wide as possible, and cried out the name she had given her last and greatest attack.

_"Blue Moon Sapphire Power KISS!"_

A great draining sensation gripped her as Konaginata drew in far more energy than ever before… and Konata was blown back ten meters by recoil as it erupted, a cerulean blue beam of immense power and size. Everything in the beam's path ceased to be: it swept through the roots and turned them to vapor, and the minions unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast never knew what hit them. Nothing was left of them after it passed, not even ashes. Those too near the beam burst into blue flame from the heat of its passage alone, then shrank and blackened into pathetic husks. The lower halves of the roots, now separated from their parent's body, bled out and shriveled, withering in seconds...

"I did it…" muttered Konata, weary and on the verge of passing out from the drain, but happy, radiantly happy… "Akemi-san, Kagamin, I did it…"

Closing her eyes, Konata allowed herself to freefall gently backward, satisfied.

* * *

><p><strong>STAR PINK: Miyuki<strong>

From her position on the ground, Miyuki peered through the sphere of flames that she had set up as a barrier, her book open and at the ready, waiting for her chance.

Her part of the plan was perhaps the least elaborate, but no less difficult for it: she was to hang back, providing support for the others while she waited for Konata to sever the roots. When that was done, her duty was to seal off Desideria in their present location. Hikawa Shrine was the line in the sand; for the sake of the rest of Omiya, for Japan, and for the world, she _could not_ allow the Demon to spread any farther.

It was a responsibility Miyuki undertook with no small amount of trepidation. She was just barely getting used to her powers and the idea of being a magical girl… a _Star_, she corrected herself, that was their name now. Already tonight, just in starting out, she had gotten her costume wrong, and while that was admittedly a silly mistake to be bothered about now, it set a bad precedent. And she had nearly been killed twice: once by being smothered and strangled, and once by having an emotional breakdown at the worst of times. True, both of those were the Demon's fault, not hers, but…

Now, alone on the ground and trying to concentrate, attempting to tune out the awful noises of the minions giggling as they threw themselves into her sphere of flames, with so much riding on her… she was deathly afraid that she would let everyone down somehow. The anxiety gnawed at her, scared her more than any more than those creatures ever could, no matter how deformed.

_They're all counting on me_, she thought, chewing on the inside of her lip. _I'm supposed to protect the world from the Demon while they fight it. But I'm so scared… How can I do this? How can I-_

A warm weight settled on her shoulder. _It will be all right, Miyuki_, said Kyubey, curling his tail around the back of her neck for support. _The others have faith in you. _I_ have faith in you._ _Doubting yourself is highly irrational behavior._

_How can you say that?!_ she thought back at him. _Look at how much depends on me! I'm just an ordinary girl, not a superhero!_

_Untrue,_ said Kyubey. Then, after a brief pause, _At least, the former is untrue. The mere fact that you're still standing and still fighting after all you've experienced is so statistically improbable as to border on the impossible. I've seen many, many Puellae Magi_ _lose themselves to despair from far less than you've gone through._

Miyuki stared at him. A minion stuck its arm through the flames, laughed as its flesh sloughed off, retracted it, then repeated the process. _Really?_ she thought in disbelief.

_Absolutely,_ said Kyubey. _All of you have displayed extraordinary aptitude tonight, but among all your friends, you were the one whom I surmised was least likely to become a Puella Magi. Or one of your 'Stars Above', for that matter. Given the massive amount of psychological and emotional trauma from your prolonged imprisonment and stasis, your profile certainly made for an _appealing_ potential candidate, there was no question of that. However, I concluded that, should you recover, your particular strengths would be far more suited for a more conventional human profession. Office work, perhaps. Or employment at a bookstore or library. Perhaps even yoga instruction. I assumed that when faced with the mere _prospect_ of combat, you would undergo a complete breakdown and perish or fade almost immediately, making you quite useless for fighting Demons. True, I _was_ prepared to contract you despite this, but only as an emergency measure. I had little expectation that you would prove valuable. Ahead at thirty degrees to your right._

The minion, though scorched and burning from the fiery barrier, had managed to push through it, and now tottered toward Miyuki, the movements of its smoldering body jerking and spastic as if guided by a nervous puppeteer's strings. It was… _misshapen_, disturbing on a deep and primal level that she couldn't clearly define. Its anatomy didn't line up correctly with itself, its grey skin was stretched far too thinly over its bulging muscles, random parts of its body were too big or too small for its frame… As it approached, it tore apart the barbed wires that sewed its ragged, lipless mouth together and giggled at her, raising its wasted arms to embrace her...

Miyuki shrieked in alarm and slammed her book shut. A mental commend morphed Heshioru into hammer form; she hoped that the ice that composed it wouldn't melt from the heat of her barrier's flames. Redirecting its flow of information to her glasses, she gripped the hammer's shaft tightly with both hands, extended its length by about a half a meter, then slammed the weighted head into the creature sideways, propelling its broken remains back out of the dome.

_That was excellent form. Very efficient,_ said Kyubey, nodding his approval.

Panting with exertion, her nerves still on edge, Miyuki shot Kyubey an uncharacteristically angry glare. _You thought I would _die?!

_Yes._ The response was brutally honest. _However, I was proven entirely wrong. To willingly fight in your condition, you must have a strength within you that far surpassed my initial expectations, Miyuki Takara. None of the others have defied my initial assessments as you have. Even Tsukasa, who was the other that I formerly considered to be unsuited for a contract… I concluded that given the right impetus, she had the potential to overcome her flaws and become an acceptable combatant. With you, I had no such theory. When you left the hospital tonight, I fully expected not to see you alive again._

The way he phrased it didn't make for much of a compliment, but she could tell he meant well, at least. _Thank... you…?_

_You're welcome._ Kyubey nodded, missing her conflicted tone entirely. _You are a fascinating subject, Miyuki. I find you very interesting, and it would be highly unfortunate if you died before I could study you further._

More flaming minions were now breaching the sphere, lazily waving their arms as they jerked and stuttered in her direction. Miyuki swallowed nervously and moved her hand to the bridge of her glasses to adjust them. Again her perception slowed, as Heshioru calculated their movement speed, their positions relative to her own, the possible reach of their limbs, and the proper angles for a counter attack. Data flowed across her lenses, equations resolving themselves with a series of soft chimes. And buried among the glowing lines of light that made up each finished formula, there was something else: the name of a technique that she vaguely remembered from a game long ago. Or perhaps Konata had mentioned it more recently, she wasn't sure. But it sounded right, and the calculations proved that it would most likely work…

Miyuki lifted the hammer and brought it crashing down, shouting _"Blizzaga…!"_

A glowing white spell circle spread out from the point of impact. The shockwaves of the hammer's fall sent the minions stumbling. Some fell… and were promptly skewered through by great stalagmites of glittering ice that erupted from beneath them. To a one, the approaching minions were pierced through, their bodies slowing and hardening as the bitter cold spread ice crystals over their grisly flesh. The spires from beneath them retracted back into the soil as Miyuki raised her hammer again, and their bodies, now frozen solid, crashed to the ground, most of them shattering to pieces upon contact with the soil.

_Impressive indeed_, said Kyubey. _Your powers are certainly versatile._

Miyuki nodded shakily. _As long as I can protect my friends, and my family, and Tsukasa… I think I can use them well, Kyubey. Well enough, at least._

Above, a tiny shape drew a shining circle in the air, and Miyuki watched in awe as an immense cerulean beam tore through the Demon's roots. That was her cue, but for a moment she was too distracted to do anything but gape. She wondered how on earth Konata had enough magic left within her to generate a blast of such magnitude… Heshioru, responding to her curiosity, began at detailed analysis, reconstructing an image of the beam from the remaining particles in the air and filling in rest with guesswork extrapolated from the data she had already collected. In seconds, there was a neat little wireframe mockup model of the beam hovering in her lenses, accompanied by a chart listing its approximate width, spread, temperature, number of joules at peak output, and more. "Fascinating," she said aloud to herself. "I know it's magic, but according to this, what Konata-san just did should be impossible on that scale. It's completely against the laws of thermodynamics… where is all that energy _coming_ from?! Is she-"

_Miyuki,_ said Kyubey, pressing a paw into her shoulder, _while I'd love to discuss physics and their relationship to magic with you, that _was_ your cue, wasn't it?_

Her cheeks flushed red. Miyuki pulled up her hood to hide them, dismissed the data from her lenses and filed it away to Heshioru for later study, and braced herself against the ground. There would be time to indulge her curiosity later, hopefully. If they survived…

She thrust the end of Heshioru's handle deep into the soil, instructing it to maintain the barrier but divert all other available energy into her body. The _rush_… it was almost intoxicating, having that much power flow through her. Miyuki enjoyed it, was filled with longing to test it out… but later. There was work to be done now. Spreading both her arms, she concentrated…

The shrine. Atop the hill, secluded by ancient elms, lush and filled with life. Festivals and fireworks. Architecture from thousands of years of history. Offerings to the gods. People visiting the park that surrounded it, laughing, smiling… Miyuki pictured its entirety in her mind, pictured it how it _should_ be: not as an apocalyptic battleground, but as a holy place of remembrance and contemplation. Perhaps someday it would be so again, but now… she visualized the tall hill on which the shrine stood, standing out from the surrounding area of Omiya like a relief map. Carefully, she drew a red mark around the raised area. A mark, then a line, then a curve, then a circle, sealing it off, protecting this place from the Demon's rampage, ensuring that nothing could get in or out. Once again, her lenses filled with the necessary data. Power gathered at her fingertips as the name of the spell she needed flashed red, standing out among the rest of the white runes. She swallowed, formed the circle, and called it out: _"Barriaga!"_

A powerful tremor passed through her as the spell was turned loose. From all directions it rose, a great circular wall of hazy pink energy. And more than that: its edges curved up to meet themselves above and below ground, forming an immense sphere. Miyuki felt the lower edges stall for a moment as they encountered the Demon's buried roots, deep down within the hill. Straining hard, she commanded the edges to plunge down deeper, to the points where the roots tapered off. The wall swallowed them, cut them off. No part of the Demon, not even a _dead_ part, could escape. They couldn't take that chance.

The sphere was finished. A little malformed around its south pole to accommodate the roots, but finished. Hikawa Shrine and everything around it within a three kilometer radius was sealed off. Nothing could get out. And now for the more difficult part…

Miyuki cringed under the strain, sweat rolling down her brow. She imagined the entire space, the entire area within her sphere twisting away from the real world, just a few degrees out of place. It didn't have to be much; it just had to keep the battle safely away and out of reach, so that no one from the outside could endanger themselves by wandering in… The police, the emergency services, were doubtless trying to respond to the horrible thing breaking the sky, but they couldn't come in, for their own safety. Theoretically, it wouldn't take much, just taking the space and giving it a slight turn… Again the name of the spell she needed stood out red, and again she laid down the spell circle and called out, _"Dezone!"_

It worked. The angry scream from the Demon above was proof of that. All around the sphere's borders, space _rippled_, like a sheet of fabric cast to the wind. It didn't look very impressive to human eyes, but Miyuki's part was finally done. Spatial distortion or no spatial distortion, Desideria was now blocked off from spreading through at least three dimensions. The fourth and upwards were another matter, but Homura's plan would hopefully take care of that.

As quickly as the rush of energy had come, now it was gone… Miyuki sagged, feeling like she had just run a marathon. But it was done, at least. She had even factored in for exhaustion, and as long as her powers remained active and she stayed awake and conscious, the spell would hold. Doubtless the others had seen the sphere go up, they knew it was their turn to act. Nevertheless, she smiled up to where they flew, drawing fire and bursts of matter from the Demon's mouth, dodging the minions that had taken to the-

Miyuki's eyes widened. An enormous pack of minions was approaching Tsukasa and the others from below and at an angle. She counted one, two, three dozen… and the other Stars had stopped for a moment, perhaps to regroup or charge another attack, or perhaps decide their next move… but they hovered in place, and the pack grew closer.

_Kyubey!_ she commanded. _Open a connection!_

_To which one?_

_All of them, I need to warn them!_

_Of course_. The Incubator blinked, and-

Miyuki shrieked in pain. Three minds touched hers at once, their thoughts overlapping in a chaotic scramble of words, sounds, sights, feelings, smells, memories… It was simply too much information, even for her, too much at once… The sensory overload drove her to her knees, clutching at her temples.

Around her, the minions that survived her Blizzaga spell crawled toward her, their bodies slowly thawing. They dragged themselves through the soil, ignoring the massive wounds the stalagmites of ice had torn in them, sensing weakened prey. A few of them giggled brokenly.

_Miyuki?_ Kyubey's voice was calm as ever. _I suggest you get up_.

_Can't…_ Miyuki pressed a hand to her mouth, trying not to vomit. Too much, too much information…

_Should I close the connection?_

_No... keep it… open…_ Even _thinking_ was a challenge, but she had to pull herself together, had to sort through the tangle and warn them of the danger…

Cold, moist hands pawed at her robes. The drunken giggling grew louder as minion after minion slumped itself onto Miyuki, clinging to her like leeches, breathing raggedly on her. Doing little else, just breathing… Pale shadows joined them, milling around in a circle, murmuring in the Demon's voice… which was also Tsukasa's voice, and Konata's, and Kagami's, and Akemi's...

_"It hurts, doesn't it, Yuki-chan?_" said Desideria. _"It hurts more than you ever thought. Being back inside the mirror doesn't seem so bad now, right? At least in there, there wasn't any pain… Come back to me, Yuki-chan. Come back to me. It'll be better this time. Peaceful. I'll put you to sleep before I seal you in my mirror. No pain, no suffering, just endless dreaming. Come and sleep… come and dream..."_

Miyuki's fingers dug into the soil. Her Heart Jewel wavered…

… then shone brighter than ever.

_"No,"_ she spat in disgust, forcing her words out through the tangle inhabiting her mind. "Not again. I'll never go back. I'll never turn away. I have a chance now… to earn my forgiveness. Even though I don't deserve it, I'll earn it. I'll keep Tsukasa and Konata-san and Kagami-san and Akemi-san and everyone else safe… _and you can't stop me_."

Her hand shot out, took hold of Heshioru's handle. A half dozen minion hands came with it, clinging to her, trying to drag her arm back…

_"No!"_

Miyuki stood with difficulty, clawing at the heavy minions piled onto her, her stomach churning with revulsion at their touch. Spells raced through her lenses, dozens at a time, until she found the one she needed and called it out: _"Thundaja!"_

The minions' giggles turned to delighted screams as thousands of volts of electricity electrified Miyuki's robes and body… she was a living taser, sending their withered nerves and muscles into uncontrollable spasms. One by one they slid off of her, unable to keep their hold.

"I…" she said to the shadows, heaving and shuddering, "... will _not_… allow you..." As she spoke, she brought her hammer down, flattening a twitching body, and then another, and another. Whirling, she struck the minion behind her and crumpled it into a useless pile of broken bones and flesh. "... to harm…" The two struggling to stand in front of her were thrown back by blunt blows from the end of the handle- "... the_ people…_" One strike crushed the creature on the left..._ "... that I love…!"_ -and a second reduced the one on her right to something like paste.

Shaking herself hard, Miyuki looked up and searched the sky for her friends. She found them, having drifted a meter or two to the left, but still in place. Screaming mentally over the din in her skull, she thought at them with all her strength: _Look out! FROM BELOW YOU, LOOK OUT! Kyubey, cut the connection!_

It worked. Merciful silence, her thoughts were her own again. The three shapes moved, caught sight of the pack approaching them, and drew their weapons. But dozens more had joined the swarm, there were far too many to-

Miyuki felt tired. More tired than she had ever felt in her life. Using so much power, living through so much torment in one night… exhaustion she was prepared for, but not this… not this _burnout_. Though the connection was now terminated, the echoes of the three minds still lingered. That sensation would haunt her for a long, long time.

_I apologize for not warning you of the backlash_, said Kyubey. _I was not prepared for it to have such an effect on you. Are you all right?_

_I will be,_ she thought grimly. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, scrolled through the last burst of data they had given her, and found one more spell… and what a spell.

Miyuki raised both hands to the sky, gathered all the remaining energy she could spare, laid down a spell circle ten meters across, and screamed out the name of the spell written in glowing red runes across her lenses…

_"ULTIMA!"_

It was a tiny orb of light. An orb that flared to life between her hands, then flew up, up, up into the center of the pack… and detonated, consuming fifty minions in an instant, pulling the rest in to their doom, into the corona of a fifty-meter sphere of searing white radiance that hung shining in midair like a newly risen sun.

Miyuki fell back and slumped against Heshioru, unable to support her own weight anymore.

_That was extremely reckless, Miyuki,_ said Kyubey, hopping from her shoulder and carefully sitting down, avoiding the congealing puddles of black blood and minion corpses. _But nonetheless, quite spectacular._

She smiled weakly, wanting nothing more than to drift off to sleep. But despite how very, very tired she was, she stubbornly bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself awake. The wall had to hold, and it would only hold if she remained conscious. And it _would_ hold, if she had to use up every last iota of energy to maintain it.

_Tsukasa, Kagami-san, Akemi-san… it's up to you now…_

* * *

><p><strong>STAR BLACK: Tsukasa<strong>

The mighty orb of light reflected in Tsukasa's wide eyes. _Miyuki_… She had no idea how her fellow Star had cast such an enormously powerful spell, but it had to have taken a lot out of her. Her hands twitched nervously. Perhaps she should go back down there and-

_No._ She set her lip and clenched her fists. _No. She has her job to do, and I have mine._ Tsukasa turned her back on the orb before it finished dissipating, and pumped her wings to fly up and rejoin Kagami and Homura.

The two of them faced the ugly, roiling insides of the rift, their hands still clasped tightly together. A brief pang of unease went through Tsukasa at that sight… Kagami and Homura. Together. Obviously, they had grown closer than ever during the weeks that she slept in the Demons' clutches. A blind person could tell that now; it wasn't just their holding hands, or their kiss from earlier… it was the way they looked at each other, communicated without words, put their utmost faith in each other without hesitation.

She was briefly overcome with an aching sense of loss… she thought she had had something like that, once, that complete mutual trust and faith in another person. Now it was gone. No, _worse_ than gone... it had never existed in the first place. That trust had been nothing but the fabrication of a cold, inhuman mind.

Before her now was the _thing_ that had created that fabrication, and deceived her for so long…

It was all the incentive Tsukasa needed to do her part. _"Onee-chan,"_ she called up to her sister, shouting to be heard over the howling wind. "I'm ready!"

Kagami nodded, then glanced at Homura. The two drifted back, giving her space…

Taking a deep breath, Tsukasa once more put her hand on Yukitamashii's beads. Hers was arguably the most dangerous component of the plan. Part of her, perhaps not very deep down, squealed in terror and longed to fly home, burrow under the covers and just get _away_ from this nightmare… but without her, the nightmare would never end. For anyone, in any time, in any universe. It was all the people like herself that Tsukasa thought about to give herself strength: the plain, ordinary, slow, naïve people whose lives would be invaded and disrupted and destroyed by the Demon's power. As terribly as she hurt, as frightened as she was… if she let this go on, there would be countless others out there scared or hurt far worse than she. The thought of protecting all those people, and her family, friends, and loved ones, and her city, and her world… that was what filled her Heart and gave her power.

Tsukasa raised her hand and spread it wide over the horrible mouth of the Demon. Her fingers curled slowly, as if to grasp it, as she gave Yukitamashii a simple command: _Attract._

At first, nothing seemed to happen. A shiver of fear trickled up and down Tsukasa's spine. If this didn't work…

Then the Demon screamed. It screamed and hurled a bilious green fireball the size of a building at her…

* * *

><p><em>"Tsukasa!"<em> Above and behind her, Kagami cried out in horror. She made to dive back down, protect her sister with a barrier… and was held back by Homura, who shook her head.

"She can do it," said Homura. "I know she can."

"_How?!_" shrieked Kagami, wanting to let go of Homura's hand for the first time in more than an hour, just to be _sure…_

Homura smiled slightly. "If she's anything at all like you, she can do the impossible. Not even death can stop her."

* * *

><p>Tsukasa held her ground. Thought her skin crawled, and her every instinct told her to get <em>out<em> of there, to get _away_ before the immense fireball could hurt her, she hovered in place, gritting her teeth and bracing herself. Beads of sweat broke out on her face and arms as the burning sphere grew nearer and nearer, its dancing flames resembling faces howling in pain. Its searing heat increased by the second, making the air shimmer like water. Now the fireball filled her vision entirely, blocking out the sky and the Demon that had cast it… now there was no more time to dodge... even if she _wanted_ to, it would char her to a crisp before she could get away… The heat, the heat was overwhelming, she was about to faint… but she stayed in place, mentally screaming to Yukitamashii: _ATTRACT!_

The first tongue of flame licked her hand, blistering her skin on contact… and that touch was all it took. The entire enormous fireball shrank down and vanished into one of the pearl _tama_ beads, which shone bilious green for a moment before returning to its proper color.

Tsukasa whimpered; her palm was deep red, her nerves jangling with intense pain. The continued fierce blowing of the wind provided some relief once the heat dissipated, but the fireball had still burnt her badly, deep into her skin.

But still she held up her arm and grasped with her fingers, because it was working… the Demon's attack was proof enough. Thought she couldn't see it for herself yet, it was _working…_

* * *

><p>Desideria raged incoherently at her, at this mere <em>speck<em> of a human who dared defy her when she was so _close…_ The shape loomed ahead, clearer than ever. She could even see the wings now… A few more layers to tear through, and they would be face to face. The poor, stupid thing… she had no idea how close she was to her own destruction. Just sitting there, back turned, so confident in her own invincibility that she was making no attempt to escape… Desideria let out a gleeful cackle. It was almost pitiable. The shredded layers of reality rained down around her like brightly colored streamers at a parade as she increased her pace. Any moment now… any moment now, she would-

Desideria felt herself come to a sudden, jerking halt and made a sound of confusion. She strained, the claws of her astral being frozen in mid-swipe. Though she struggled this way and that, she couldn't pull the next layer open any farther.

Another jerk. This time she slid backward, yanked away from the shape and the few remaining barriers that still protected her by a powerful force. What was going on? How could-

And another. She slid back even further, and the shape blurred, growing slightly indistinct once more.

Desideria shrieked with realization…

_Tsukasa._

Seething with fury, she shifted the brunt of her focus back down to the rift, to her physical form. Whatever was happening, however the focal point was pulling her away from her target, she would stop it. She would stop the hateful little mouse, twist her head off in her jaws and spit out her mangled corpse in full view of her sister, and Homura Akemi, and Miyuki, and _her…_

* * *

><p>The rift exploded. A firestorm rained down upon the tiny figure hovering there, beating her cloud wings to stay aloft under the barrage. With the flames came hails of dagger-like shards of glass, venomous bullets, spears of bone, gobbets of flesh and black blood, disembodied faces, torn and twisted bodies, shreds of metal, rock and plastic… everything the Demon could safely expel, in a last, desperate attempt to stop her…<p>

Tsukasa caught it all. She formed a massive wall of light to protect herself, and though each blow and impact rattled her a little more, she held on, absorbing everything that hit the wall into her beads. She could feel them growing strangely hot now as they filled, breaking each successive volley down into energy… energy that cried desperately to be released. But not yet. Concentrating hard, she curled her fingers a little more…

A bubbling sound of shock came from the rift. One of the scythe-arms was slowly retracting, pulling free of the wound it had punctured in the sky. It bent back at a painful, impossible angle, irresistibly drawn out by the incredible force of Tsukasa's power.

Another arm slipped out of place. And another, and another… and down below, in the crater that had once been the center of Hikawa Shrine, long tendrils of shriveled, dead flesh pushed aside the ruins, emerging from the massive hollows that marked where the roots had plunged into the earth. The minion corpses rose up with them, floating gently up into the sky as if tied to balloons.

The rain of fire and projectiles worsened, pelting Tsukasa's wall mercilessly. It flexed, but would not break. She continued grasping, because it was _working_...

Every part of the massive Demon, even its arms that reached across time and space, even its dead roots deep within the earth… everything that bore any trace of its foul energy was being attracted to one place.

Tsukasa attracted it, drew it all together into one spot, so that the final blow could be delivered.

Now the beads burned hot on her skin, leaving reddening welts… there was too much energy inside them, too much to hold. Tsukasa groaned, but still she held on. _A little more, a little longer._ _Have to get it all…_ _Please, Yukitamashii…_

Clouds of debris now floated around the rift in a hideous orbit. Its scythe-arms flailed, slashing madly at anything they could reach, their blades throwing off flurries of small glass sickles in random directions. These sickles, like the rest of its volleys, were drawn to Tsukasa… and with a sudden gasp of horror, she felt, she _knew_ that Yukitamashii was nearing its limit, couldn't absorb them all. A dozen of them vanished into her wall of light… half of the rest scattered, bouncing off the wall and going wild, while the other half fell upon her, scoring her face, arms, and robes with tiny cuts…

* * *

><p><em>"Tsukasa…!<em>" Kagami shouted, throwing up her arms to shield her face from the rebounding sickles as they streamed past her, carving into her before she could concentrate long enough to properly set up a barrier."Dammit, I'm going down there…!"

"Stay here!" demanded Homura next to her, throwing out her arm to block her way. "You need to save your energy-"

Kagami thought she saw Homura flinch.

"Homura?"

"I'm fine," she said tersely, then repeated: "Stay here! Trust in her!"

* * *

><p>It was done. Despite the injuries, despite the distractions, despite everything Desideria had thrown at her… Tsukasa could <em>feel<em> it now, she had gathered everything she could gather. It was all there. Now for the next part… letting out a relieved breath, she scrubbed her forehead with the back of her free hand, then cringed as it came away smeared with blood. She bled from dozens of places… a sight that would normally make her faint, or throw up… but that could come later. There was still one more task to perform.

"Okay," said Tsukasa aloud to herself. "Okay, now let's-"

Inside the rift, something swelled, emerging from the churning grey flesh. Whatever it was, whatever it wanted to throw at her next, she had to dodge this one, or Yukitamashii would- well, she didn't know exactly what would happen if the beads reached their limit, but it would doubtless be bad. Tsukasa beat her wings a few times to gain some altitude, and-

A hand. A giant, raw, bloody hand, attached to an arm thick around as a dozen full-grown trees. She only caught a momentary glimpse of it before it burst from the rifts innards, much too fast, descended on her and seized her in a crushing, merciless grip. Tsukasa let out a strangled scream, heard Kagami scream as well from somewhere above and behind her, strained with all her might as the hand tightened, its flesh boiling against her… Pale, indistinct shadows swarmed around it in a lazy circles, shadows that reached to her and called out in familiar voices…

_"You need to go to back to sleep, Tsukasa-chan…"_ they chanted. _"Go back to sleep. You're not cut out for this. It hurts, doesn't it? You don't want it to hurt. You can't stand being hurt, can't deal with it. See what happens when you try to fight? You only get hurt more. If you keep going… what else is there for you? You thought of it yourself: more fighting. More hurting. More hardship. That's not you, Tsukasa-chan. That will _never_ be you. You're so sweet, kind, and gentle… you don't want to hurt, and you don't want to hurt anyone. It's better to just go back to sleep…"_

"I…" Tsukasa panted, her thoughts a blur, so unclear… Blazing iron bands of pain squeezed her body as the monstrous fingers constricted. It was true, it hurt so badly… she didn't want to hurt anymore…

But if she gave up now, went back to sleep…

"I…" she gasped, "... don't… _care_… if it hurts…" Tsukasa fought back, straining against the giant hand's grip with all the strength her small body could muster. "I… don't… _care…!_ It's better… to hurt… than feel nothing... at all…!" She gritted her teeth. "And… you're _wrong…_ there _is_… just _one_ thing... I want… to hurt..."

The voices hissed, taking on slithering, metallic tones. _"Well, then… why don't you do it? Why don't you hurt me, like I hurt you…? I did so much to you… isn't it only right to want revenge? Don't you hate me?"_

Tsukasa trembled, shedding a few tears. "I… do…" The words emerged as a choked sob. "But…" And here she reached for into her Heart for the spell she had in mind, and to fuel it she thought of her sisters, her parents, Miyuki and Konata, and all the others like her, all the other Tsukasas in the world that she had to protect… "... I love my _family_…" Light shone from between the squeezing fingers, and she burst out of them in a sudden violent motion… "... and my _friends…_" Darting out of reach of the hand, she poured all her focus into what she needed. "... and the world… _more than I hate you…!_" Grasping the right bead between her fingertips, shoving its blistering heat to the back of her mind, she released the energy…

The arm spasmed, its muscles trembling briefly before it buckled, crushed down to half its proper size with a nauseating _squelch_, a shadow of its former self. Much farther up, the rift itself shrank: cracks, arms and all, as if an enormous, invisible pair of hands were pressing it into a harmless ball.

The aura… the aura of pressure the Demon had used to pin Kagami and Homura before… Tsukasa had absorbed it all, stored it in Yukitamashii… and now turned it back on its master, multiplying its force with the raw power from her other beads.

Desideria screeched in agony. Her mass was shriveling down, compressing, growing smaller every second. The intense force bore down on her from all sides, her arms buckled under, her borders collapsed under the strain. _Stop, _she screamed, but again her words were lost, emerging as nothing but primal mewls of pain. _Stop, stop, stop…_

Tsukasa didn't stop. Though she hurt, and bled, and was so tired from the fight, and from the strain… she didn't stop. The other Stars counted on her. Everyone counted on her. This was her part of the plan: absorb and attract everything there was of the Demon, then squeeze it down as compact as she could, and keep it compact so that Kagami and Homura's attacks did as much damage as possible.

But there was something else she intended to do, something that wasn't in the plan. Even with the release of the crushing aura, Yukitamashii's other beads still burned her wrist… they were still full of converted power, far too much power, and that power needed somewhere to go.

So she decided to send that power right back into the mouth of the horrible thing that had provided it in the first place, with interest.

_"Never…" _she screamed, raising her hand once more to the rift, picturing the faces of those she loved in her mind, "_... hurt anyone… again! DEMON SLAYER!"_

Yukitamashii's beads spun in a blurred wheel around her wrist… and erupted with an immense white beam, a smaller twin of the pillar of light that had pierced the heavens earlier tonight. It bore a ten-meter hole into the compacted mass of the Demon and burst through to the other side.

Desideria's screaming cut off abruptly.

Pale and disheveled, clutching at the deep red blisters on her wrist, Tsukasa turned her weary eyes up to her sister and Homura. Though she knew they probably couldn't see her, she nodded.

_Your turn._

* * *

><p><strong>STAR VIOLET: Homura<strong>

**STAR WHITE: Kagami**

The wind had stopped.

The screaming had stopped.

Everything had stopped.

Perfect silence, except for her breathing and the pounding of her heart. This was it. They had done the impossible, they had beaten Desideria back, they were _winning_… all that was left was to strike the final blow.

Kagami gripped Kurokami's hilt tight. _And I think I know just what to call it._ She squeezed Homura's hand again, felt the Puella Magi squeeze back, and smiled at her. "Ready?"

Homura nodded and placed a hand on her shield.

Her shield… she traced the curves of the cool burnished metal with her fingertips. It felt like it had been at her side for her entire life. All those years lost in time, repeating the same events over and over again, her shield had been there. It was more than just her signature weapon; its presence was as comforting and familiar as that of an old friend. It was an embodiment of her deepest, strongest desire: to protect. To keep the people she cared about safe from harm. Its absence during the two years between _her_ ascension and her journey to Kagami's world had hurt more than she realized at the time. During the war with Vittoria, she remembered more than one occasion where her hand reached for it automatically out of habit, without thinking... only to find it absent. She remembered feeling wistful, oddly lonely each time that happened.

Her shield had returned to her, just before the onset of this journey. Time and time again, it aided her in her mission to protect what was precious to her. How fitting, then, for this to be its final action: it had come full circle. One last time, it was going to protect _her_.

But there was something that needed to be done first. Homura lifted her hand from the shield's edge and reached inside it, into its pocketspace. It took only a moment to find what she was looking for. Everything else in the pocketspace was expendable, everything else could be replaced… but not this. Grasping it tight, she retrieved it and tucked it safely into her collar, hiding it from sight.

Then, with a deep, shuddering breath, she gripped the edge of the shield again… and detached the metal disc from her arm. Homura held it up to see it better, turning it gently to examine it from every angle, watching the grains of sand within its chambers shift and tumble. Bringing it to her lips, she laid a brief, soft kiss upon it, giving it her blessing. "Goodbye," she whispered. "Thank you."

With all her might, Homura hurled her shield upward, guiding its flight path with her magic. It flew straight and true, whirling up into the rift, into the Demon's compacted mass, right into the center of the hole Tsukasa's beam had torn through it, where it came to a dead stop.

* * *

><p>Desideria festered and strained, coiling around the shield, longing to absorb it and snap it in two, but Tsukasa's power held her body in an irregular ring shape. Her fingers scraped for the weapon, but were unable to reach it. Stupid humans, sacrificing one of their most powerful weapons to her… the instant she burst free, she would take its power for herself. Then, while the mice were frozen in time, she would do all sorts of wonderful things to them, punish them for ever defying her. Punish them, punish them. Hate them. Hate.<p>

* * *

><p>Reluctantly, they released each other's hands. Kagami brandished her sword, and Homura her bow, notching a flaming arrow to its center. No more dodging, no more attacking from a distance, no more running. Gathering all the power they had left, the two partners rocketed upward, their auras painting streaks of light in the sky behind them, two comets rising to the heavens.<p>

* * *

><p>Desideria realized what they intended to do. She realized, and was afraid… her body bulged and strained against the power holding it in place, but she was trapped, the mice had her <em>trapped<em>… The stars came inexorably closer, and she couldn't move and couldn't lash out at them…

So she did the only thing left to do… and poured herself into the minds of Kagami and Homura, opening herself entirely to them.

_"You'll see!"_ she shrieked at Kagami, clawing in a frenzy at the girl's thoughts. _"You'll see soon enough! You'll lose her! Someday, you'll lose her, and you'll never see her again! All your love and all your magic won't bring her back! You'll lose her, and you'll _suffer!_"_

And to Homura, she screamed: _"You'll see! Your love will destroy us all! It will change you, corrupt you into a greater monster than I ever was! I can see it happen! What you've done will cost you _everything_, and it will all be your fault! Your fault, your fault!"_

* * *

><p>Kagami moaned in agony. The Demon's talons were in her mind, scraping the edges, trying to poison her thoughts. Her shrieking drowned out even the wind roaring past her as she climbed higher… but she didn't stop. She didn't even slow down. No way in hell was she pulling away now. Tucking her wings in close and gritting her teeth, she snarled, "I've had <em>enough<em> of you! Get out of my head and _shut the hell up!_" Both hands held tighter to Kurokami's hilt. The sword's blade now cleaved through the very air, leaving behind a V-shaped vapor trail, its edge shining with light. Repelling and rejecting, that was how Kyubey described her power. So this attack was going to be one mother of a rejection… a rejection of everything that Desideria was, everything she represented. Up to and including the darkness within herself, the same darkness that in another time and place had given birth to the Demon that destroyed Homura's world.

She thought about that other version of herself as she charged ahead. That poor other Kagami, who lost herself to despair. The same thing almost happened to her several times in the last few months… Now, though? This was the end. After tonight, the Demons wouldn't take anyone or anything away from her ever again.

Desideria and her brethren… they were _her_ Demons, and one by one they had been conquered. This was the last one to overcome… and damned if she was going to quit without finishing the job.

Homura's dark wings shrank down and folded in close as she pulled on her arrow, drew it as far back as it could go, swelled the flaming shaft to the size of a battering ram. There was no way it could miss… because she intended not to fire it, but to ram it straight through the clockwork heart of her shield. Desideria's screaming polluted her thoughts with rage and venomous words, seeking to exploit any weakness the Demon could find. Homura wouldn't let it. She let her enemy scream impotently and flail at her. Desideria couldn't hurt her anymore. The hands, the _fingers_ couldn't hurt her anymore. Her shield was no longer on her arm, it was in her Heart. Though she was one of the Stars Above only in name, not in power, it didn't matter. She was Star Violet. Love was her shield now. Love kept her safe. Even before she struck this final, decisive blow, she knew… she was free of the Demon at last.

Though the Nine were Kagami's Demons, born from within her other self, they were at the same time _Homura's_ Demons. Her adversaries, her challenges, the shadows that haunted her ever since meeting the other Kagami on that winter day a lifetime ago. Each with a connection to both herself and Kagami.

Now it was almost over. The last Demon lay ahead. One more mission to complete, and then-

The two Stars rose higher, gathering speed, bursting into white and violet flames from friction with the air. On a collision course with the center of the rift, they circled around each other, their trails entwining in a spiral.

They were not alone. From the shrine grounds far below, there came a shout that split the night: _"ULTIMA!"_ Just as before, a tiny white orb of light flew up to join the twin comets, hanging in their wake.

And from the west, another voice, from a figure hanging in the sky on cloudy wings: _"DEMON SLAYER!"_ Another cutting beam lanced upward at an angle, smaller and more controlled this time, striking one of the sand chambers embedded in Homura's shield and burning through its magically reinforced surface, one layer at a time.

From the east, at the peak of a great elm, a third voice: _"BLUE MOON SAPPHIRE POWER KISS!"_ Much like the other in the west, this time the cerulean ray was far tighter, more focused. Narrowing to the thickness of a pin, it struck the other sand chamber, setting it alight. The clockwork shield shook and trembled, its magical protection crumbling under the combined assault, its edges smoking.

Kagami steeled herself, putting all her Heart into the point of her sword. One strike, one final strike. Oddly, she thought of Ibuki-sensei, who had been so impatient with her in the first few weeks of kendo when she sometimes forgot to shout the correct _kiai_ when attacking her sparring partners. Well, there _was_ no correct _kiai_ for this one. No head or neck or body or wrist. So instead, though it was really more _Konata's_ sort of thing than hers, just this once, she was going to indulge the classic tradition and shout out the attack name she had devised. It was a name that made her think of the first time she had seen Homura's glorious and terrible space wings unfurl, aglow with pieces that looked torn out of the night sky itself.

Homura strained, narrowing her eyes. The light of her arrow threw the many beads of sweat on her hands and forehead into sharp relief. She could almost hear the arrow howling for release, ready to explode… but not yet. The timing had to be perfect, she wouldn't get another chance.

Faces flashed before her eyes, faces of the fallen, of all those who had suffered because of this creature and her kind. For all of them, she held back the arrow just a little longer, just to be sure that this would finish it.

Finish it. Homura smiled… then actually laughed, though the sound was swept away by the wind. Mami Tomoe's kind, gentle face had just appeared to her. Mami had always been such a fan of these sorts of things, of the moments when the heroes would triumph over impossible odds. It was out of reverence for those heroes, Homura supposed, that she took to following the ancient cliché of screaming her attack names as she performed them. She remembered many occasions that she scoffed at such behavior; not only was it a waste of energy, it was impractical, ruining any attempt at stealth or strategy. What good could it possibly do to announce to your enemy which technique you were using? However, Mami had always done it anyway. And just as she had done it in reverence to her heroes, Homura had taken to doing the same, despite how embarrassing it was, in reverence to one of the Puella Magi who had saved her life all that time ago…

Mami deserved that much. And if there was ever any time to finally embrace that old tradition with all her heart, that time was now. They were within fifty meters of the shield at the rift's center, and closing fast. If she didn't take this chance to honor Mami, she knew she would regret it. So she took a breath and screamed…

_"REQUIEM VIOLETTA… FINALE!"_

At her side, Kagami joined the battle cry with her own: _"STARRY NIGHT!"_

* * *

><p><em>No.<em>

_ No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no…_

So close, she had been so _close_. Within a hairsbreadth of seizing _her_, of killing hope itself. Now, with the bearers of certain death hurtling up at her, she howled defiance to them, to her fallen brothers, to the universe itself… and to _her_, she who watched everything, who was doubtless watching now.

She could almost see her smiling.

And in the instant before the two Stars collided with the clockword shield… Desideria saw something very strange, something inexplicable.

She saw the great, winged shape, the shape that she had given everything to reach… she drew a bow of her own, a bow vaster than the galaxy and glittering with a million points of starlight, notched an immense arrow of pink flames to it, and let it fly…

It traveled faster than light, faster than thought. It was perfectly timed, to pierce through the Demon at the exact same moment her mortal charges landed the killing blow. They would never know.

Damn her. _Damn_ her. She had watched everything. Somehow, she _knew_ that all this would happen, that Desideria would ultimately fail… and though she was bound by her wish to exist apart from normal time and space for all eternity… just this once, she had made an exception, to ensure the victory of her dearest friend.

_Hate,_ thought Desideria, letting it devour the last of her mind.

Hate was her strength.

Perhaps that was all she had ever had.

But it wasn't enough.

_Hate. Hate, hate, h_

* * *

><p>Kagami and Homura struck the shield and sliced it neatly in two.<p>

A heartbeat later, Konata's and Tsukasa's beams bored through the sand chambers, and Miyuki's orb of light detonated.

All of the unfathomably powerful temporal magic contained within the clockwork shield spilled out at once, consuming the Demon in eerie light, scattering billions of enchanted grains of sand to the winds. And each individual grain of sand, bombarded by the Stars' combined energies, collapsed in on itself in a titanic explosion that shook space and time, echoing through every plane, every dimension, every reality… Countless eyes in countless variations of the planet Earth looked up at the sound, but only the five Stars Above saw it all, as Desideria, the last of Vittoria's children, the Last of the Nine, vanished into nothingness... erased from all of existence like a bad dream.

Silence.

The two Stars hung there, drained and shaking, staring at the spot where the Demon had been. There were no signs of its presence, no cracks in the sky, nothing except the crater far below that had once been the center of Hikawa Shrine.

Kagami and Homura looked at each other, each at a loss for words. Over, it was over. So why couldn't they say anything?

Even Kagami's talent for snappy one-liners seemed to have deserted her. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. The first thought that managed to pierce through the fog was that there was nothing between herself and Homura now except air, cool, sweet, fresh air...

Likewise, Homura stared at her partner. She was so beautiful… more beautiful than ever in the light of the crescent moon, now shining down through the clear summer night sky without the chaos of the battle to impede it. Her skin glowed with it… just like last night, the night they gave themselves to each other. Homura drank in the sight of her partner, her lover, burning the image into her mind, treasuring the weary but radiant smile now spreading across her face.

They floated down to earth in each other's arms.

* * *

><p>Only a moment after touching the ground, the two of them were mobbed. Konata was first, throwing herself at them like a tiny human javelin, wrapping her arms around them both and shouting for joy at the top of her lungs: <em>"We did it! We did it, she's gone, she's history! Holy <em>crap_, we did it!"_

"_Onee-chan!_" Tsukasa was next. Since Konata was occupying the space in front, she contented herself with hugging her sister from the back. "_Onee-chan_, Akemi-san…! You were amazing... we _all_ were, we-" The rest of her sentence was cut off as she burst into tears, unable to contain herself any longer, great fat droplets rolling down her cheeks. "I… I-I was so s-scared… but it's g-gonna be all right… it's over…"

Miyuki hung back, unable to find an opening in what was quickly becoming a very confusing group hug, but happy enough just to bask in the outpouring of warmth and friendship. She sniffled, wiping away a few tears of her own.

"Konata-san…"

"_Gah_, Konata! That's enough, you're crushing us both! Give us space to breathe, dammit!"

"Sorry, can't help it! I'm magnetically attracted to cute lesbians~."

"Why you little-"

"Please, Konata-san. I'm happy too, but this is growing uncomfortable."

"Awww." With great reluctance, Konata released her hold on them… reminding herself to use her phone to snap a few pictures of Kagami and Homura "celebrating" when the opportunity presented itself.

Kagami turned around and hugged her sister tight, beaming at her. "'Demon Slayer', huh?"

"It was the first thing I could think of." Tsukasa giggled.

"Well, can't argue with the results, right?"

"Hey, hey Miyuki-san!" Konata had spotted a new target; she ran to Miyuki and attached herself to her, grinning like a fool. "Way to go with those spells, especially the Ultimas! That was some _seriously_ hardcore, high-level stuff! C'mon and join the love-fest!"

"I…" Miyuki's face reddened as the tiny girl pulled her forward. "I'm not certain that's really appro-"

"Don't be silly! We're all a team now, right? And you're part of it! We couldn't have done it without you!"

"Th-that may be true, but-"

"Konata, if she says she doesn't want hugs, _she doesn't want hugs. _Show a little propriety, for God's sake!"

"K-Kona-chan, you can hug me, if you want…"

"Gladly! You're so _cuddly_, Tsukasa~. I've missed that…"

"Hee hee…"

Somewhere down at their feet, a cold and clinical voice spoke to all of them at once. _You fought well, all of you. I confess, I did not expect you to win._

"Kyubey! That's _terrible!_"

_How so?_ The Incubator blinked at Miyuki. _You defied my expectations. Was that not a compliment? Honestly, I don't understand you humans at all…_

Kagami felt Homura tug gently at her hand. As she glanced up, the Puella Magi inclined her head back slightly, indicating that they should find somewhere private. With some difficulty, Kagami extricated herself from Konata, Miyuki, and her sister, and began to follow her, stammering quick apologies to the others.

Konata's smile was infuriating. "Go ahead, Kagamin. Go make out with your girlfriend. We understand. After all, you deserve it."

"K-Kona-chan! That's not polite!"

"But it is accurate."

Kagami rolled her eyes and groaned with disgust, but just this once, she would let Konata have the last word unchallenged. She made a hurried bow, then went after Homura, allowing the scent of lilacs to lead her to the right spot.

She stood near the mouth of the crater, all that was left of Hikawa Shrine. As Kagami came near, she stooped to retrieve something from the ground.

"Is that…?" Kagami hardly dared to hope.

"Yes." Homura nodded and opened her hand, revealing a translucent black cube with a needle rammed through its center, its insides swirling with inky clouds. Its angles were… _wrong_, but Kagami couldn't explain exactly how. Upon closer inspection, the clouds trapped within it took on shapes… shapes of smaller cubes.

"That's really it, then," said Kagami, very quiet, hardly daring to believe. "That's all that's left. She's gone, and she's not coming back. It's over."

Homura nodded again. Her expression was unreadable.

Kagami raised an eyebrow. "And you're _sure_ we got the real one this time?"

The ghost of a smile flickered across Homura's face. "I'm sure."

"_Good_. Then let's give that thing to Kyubey… I'm not taking any more chances."

_You called?_ A white fluffy tail brushed past Kagami's ankle.

"You know, I'm not even going to be mad at you for not showing up when I needed you back there," said Kagami, trying and failing to suppress a grin. "You get a break this time, furball."

_I apologize… and thank you, I suppose._

"You're welcome. Now, will you get rid of it, please?"

Kneeling, Homura presented the warped Curse Seed to Kyubey, who stared at it for only a moment before nudging it with his forehead, letting it roll down his spine and into the waiting mouth on his back. He made an odd, satisfied swallowing noise as the mouth sealed itself closed.

"Thank you, Kyubey," said Homura. "You may rejoin the others now, if you want."

_I will shortly. I'm curious about this 'making out' that Konata mentioned. Would that be another euphemism for procreation?_

"I believe I said to _rejoin the others,_ Kyubey."

Recognizing that there would be no argument on this subject, the Incubator scampered off into the darkness without another word. There would be other opportunities in the future, he wagered.

And when they were both certain he was gone, that they were alone… Kagami and Homura's lips met sweetly, gratefully, hungrily. It was almost as if they were the only two people in the world… even the laughter and chatter of the other Stars nearby faded away. They melted into each other, becoming one being, one soul, just as they had last night, abandoning all fear and doubt…

Seconds later, years later, they parted. Kagami's cheeks flushed pink. She was so warm, so content… "I love you, Homura."

Homura's violet eyes glistened as she reached up to caress her lover's face. "I love you, Kagami." She pulled away from the embrace, took a step toward the nearest elm, then another, and another, and another…

… and she collapsed before she could reach it, her transformation breaking and dissolving into particles of light.

_"Homura!_" Kagami was at her side before she could touch the ground, supporting her weight. "Easy there… you must have used a ton of magic. Are you all right?"

Violet eyes gazed at her, just beginning to brim with tears, filled with a deep and aching sadness. "No," she whispered. As she turned over her left hand, her ring unwound and changed shape, resolving into a Fabergé egg in a flash of amethyst. Homura's Soul Gem shone with less than half its usual glow. Black clouds churned within it, centering around a deep crack in its surface… a crack stemming from a single tiny glass sickle, half-buried in its center.

Kagami's wordless cry echoed among the elms, drawing the attention of Kyubey and the other three girls. They came running… and found her cradling Homura in her arms, sobbing as if her heart were already broken.

"Kagamin, whoa, calm down! What is it, what's wrong?" Konata looked from one to the other in total confusion.

"Kagami-san? Akemi-san?" asked Miyuki, putting a fearful hand to her lips.

"_Onee-chan…_" Tsukasa stammered as she reached for her sister. "Please, get a hold of yourself so we can-"

"Tsukasa," said Kagami, her eyes lighting up. Sudden hope flared within her chest. Tsukasa, Tsukasa could- "Tsukasa, get over here! Homura's hurt, she needs your help!"

"R-right, I'll do what I can!" Tsukasa hurried to them and bent down to examine the cracked gem as Kagami held it up. "Is this-"

"It doesn't matter, I'll explain later," Kagami's words were more hurried than probably necessary, but she didn't care… Tsukasa had healing powers, she had fixed Konata before, so she could fix this. Everything was going to be all right, all it would take is a little magic… "Just… just fix the crack, Tsukasa. Please."

Biting her lip, Tsukasa nodded. Yukitamashii's beads began to glow with soft white light as she held her hands over the Soul Gem and closed her eyes. Everyone else watched with bated breath. Slowly, the clouds within the gem cleared and evaporated, restoring some of its glow…

… but the cracks remained.

"Keep going," demanded Kagami. "Put everything you can into it. C'mon, Tsukasa, I know you can do this!"

A look of intense concentration settled over Tsukasa's features. Her beads shone whiter than ever. Kagami's heart caught in her breast as the gem lit up from within, glowing like normal again, the corruption gone. The little glass sickle melted away into ether. Its power was restored… but the crack remained. The moment Tsukasa moved her hands away, it began to fade once more.

"Again," said Kagami, her voice like iron. "It's got to be working, it _has_ to be. The corruption's gone, right? That's gotta count for-"

"Kagami." Homura's words were soft, feather-light. "It's-"

"No," said Kagami, shaking her head. "_No_. Tsukasa can do it. She just has to try a little harder, that's all. You're gonna be all right."

"_Onee-chan_," said Tsukasa, as gently as possible, as if Kagami might shatter if she said it wrong. "I… I don't think I can fix this."

"Why _not?!_ You healed Konata, you _said_ you did! It's just a stupid crack! _Please_, Tsukasa!"

"Th-that was Konata's _body_, _onee-chan_." Her sister's lip trembled. "This is… this is Homura's _soul_, I can feel it. I can take away the bad stuff in it, but it's… it's breaking. There's nothing I can-"

"Don't say it. _Don't say that._ It's _magic_, there's a way to do it, I know there is!"

Shuddering, Miyuki turned away, pulling up the hood of her robes to hide her eyes.

Konata still stood there aghast. The costume she wore, that she had designed herself… it had never felt so revealing. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this cold. "Kagamin...?"

"I…" Tsukasa's lower lip quivered. More tears were coming... She had thought that after their victory tonight, after the Demon's destruction, nothing could ever again hurt her so badly… but she never imagined Kagami, strong, stubborn, always reliable Kagami, could ever look so… _lost_. Her hand trembled as she placed it on her sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry, _onee-chan_. I'm so sorry."

Kagami's mouth opened and closed, then opened again. Her eyes traveled to Konata, pale and agape, at a total loss for words. She went on to Miyuki's shape, hidden behind her robes… her shoulders were shaking. To Tsukasa, her precious sister, whom she was willing to give anything to save, finally returned to her and stronger than Kagami ever suspected… but who now looked normal, as helpless as she usually did when faced with summer homework. And finally, her eyes landed on Kyubey, looking silently up at them, his face still frozen in that ghastly smile…

"_Kyubey_," she said. There, that was it. One more option. A terrible one, but it would work. It _had_ to work. She placed her hand on her heart, took a deep breath, and looked the Incubator directly in his round red eyes. "I wish-"

Homura's hand grasped hers. "Don't," she said, her voice still light… but somehow still strong and commanding. "Don't," she repeated. "Please, Kagami."

"Try and stop me," said Kagami, glancing down at her and giving her her fiercest glare. "If I can still make a wish, I'm damn well making one, contract or no contract. Kyubey, I-"

"Kagami," said Homura, firm and unyielding as ever. "You have… to let me go."

"_No_." Kagami shook her head again, more violently this time. She wouldn't, she _couldn't_ accept this. Not after all this. Not now, so soon after they had finally _won…_ "I won't let it end like this. I _can't_. You're gonna be fine, Homura. You're gonna be fine, and we'll all go home together. All five of us. We'll go home and go to sleep, and wh-when we wake up… Mom and Dad will have breakfast for us. Tsukasa can make those omelettes you like, r-right, Tsukasa?" She was surprised to hear her voice wavering. "Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa had her face buried in her hands. She didn't answer, except with a muffled sound of despair.

Kyubey, however, did. _I…_ he said, then paused. He never usually had this much difficulty finding words. _I want to grant your wish, Kagami. Yes. I want… I want to repair Homura's Soul Gem. It's a logical choice to make. But without a contract-"_

"To hell with contracts!" Kagami snapped, clutching Homura's hand so tight that she was in danger of breaking it. "I don't _care._ I'll do whatever it takes. Take my soul, make me a Puella Magi, whatever! Just do this for me. Please. If you can't fix the gem, then make her human again. You can do that, right? _Please_, Kyubey."

"Kyubey," said Homura, turning to face him, "I _forbid_ you from granting that wish. Do you understand? Do you remember what I said before? No contract. Not now, not ever."

"Dammit, Homura, _stop it!_ Do you _want_ to die?!"

Homura fixed her with a steely gaze that reminded Kagami of the day they met, all those months ago. "No," she said, and there was truth in her answer… truth, but also pain, and fear, and heartbreak… "No, I don't want to die. I don't want to leave you. But I will _not_ trade my life, my happiness, for your suffering. I explained it to you before: the greater joy your wish brings, the more misfortune will follow. If you gave up your humanity, made yourself suffer, just for my sake..." For a moment, her voice grew cold and hard as stone. "... I would never forgive you for that."

"But…" Kagami stammered. Every argument she came up with to counter that seemed weaker than the last. Her eyes stung… "But it's not _fair._" It was a weak response, she knew, but she clung to it like a castaway clinging to a raft on a turbulent sea. "Not now, not when we've finally won! Homura, _please_. You can't do this! You're killing me… _please_…_!_"

"I'm sorry," whispered Homura, reaching up to touch her cheek again. "I'm so sorry. I know… I _know_ how much it hurts. I know more than you can understand. But I beg you, if you truly do love me…" Silvery tears ran down her pale cheeks, gleaming in the moonlight. "... don't make the same mistakes I've made. You have to let me go."

"But…"

"It will hurt," said Homura, heavy with regret. "It will hurt so badly that you'll think you won't be able to bear it, that the pain will kill you. You'll cry, and you'll grieve, and you'll think you would do anything to save me, anything to have me back… after I go. In the morning, when you wake up… you'll wonder how you can go on."

Kagami opened her mouth to say something, to stop her-

- and a slim fingertip pressed against her lips. "But you _will_ go on. You're strong like that, Kagami. I've seen it. I've seen you pass through pain that should have destroyed you. You're stronger than you know. And if you make it through this… no, _when_ you make it through this..." And here she gave her lover a trembling smile. "... you'll be stronger than I ever was."

Kagami lifted her up, held her close, felt her slender arms wrap around her, felt her heartbeat thrum against her own. She wept, shaking with great wracking sobs that seemed to tear themselves out of some deep and primal well inside her. It hurt… it hurt so much, like all her insides had turned into cold, hard lead, weighing her down… "Homura…" She choked out her lover's name, burying her face in her shoulder, her fingers in her lilac-scented hair. "... my heart's… breaking…"

"I know." Homura rubbed her back gently. More tears fell, dampening the soil below. "But you heard what Konata said before… broken hearts can heal. It just takes time…"

For a while, there were no words, no sounds except for those of shared grief.

Then…

Homura pulled back from the embrace. Once more, her expression was cool and unreadable. "May I… ask a favor…?"

Swallowing heavily, Kagami nodded.

"If you would, please…" Homura looked back at the elm tree a few paces away and continued, "help me rest against there."

"Wh-why?"

"Upright." A smile flickered across her face. "I promised you…"

That set Kagami weeping again, harder than before… each sob echoed deep into her bones, into the center of her being, until her chest burned with scouring fire. Still… after the tremors faded, she complied, carefully helping Homura to her feet, moving with her to the elm and propping her up against it.

"Thank you." Homura nodded, then looked at each of the other Stars in turn. "Konata, Tsukasa, Miyuki. Thank you… for fighting by our side. I couldn't have asked any more of you. If you're willing, if you'd do one last thing… You must promise me… promise me that you'll look out for Kagami. That you'll treasure her and care for her, always. Be there when she needs you. Be strong for her. Can you… can you do that for me?"

"Y-you got it, Akemi-san." Konata flashed a shaky cat-smile and a thumbs-up. The grim finality of this, of Homura giving her last requests so peacefully, with barely any outward sign of distress… it was too much. No one should be this brave. Why wasn't she afraid? Why wasn't she- She found herself shivering uncontrollably, feeling colder, more naked than ever. All this pain, all this emotion.. this wasn't for her, she couldn't deal with this. The heroes she knew, the ones who fought bravely against impossible odds, won, and then died beautifully in their moment of victory… those were for games and anime, not real life. Real life couldn't be this tragic, this cruel.

"We'll t-try. We will." Miyuki reached up into her hood to wipe her eyes, her features still in shadow. Though she had been with Homura the least of all of them, fighting by her side, being part of the team with her… there was a bond there, where none had existed before. She owed her life to Homura Akemi. Earlier tonight she had planned to repay that debt in full, and to be as good a friend to this strange, quiet, mysterious girl as she had ever had. Now, unless she fulfilled this promise, the debt would go unanswered… and that was unthinkable. Not after all she had done… not after all Homura had sacrificed for her.

"A-Akemi-san…" Quaking in place, Tsukasa reached for someone, anyone… This couldn't be happening, it _couldn't_. Like Kagami said, it wasn't _fair…_ not when they had fought together, suffered together, not when there was still so much more to do. She wanted to know Homura, to see in her some of what Kagami saw. She wanted the opportunity to grow to love her as another sister, part of the family. This was all too soon, too- Tsukasa's eyes widened in sudden, horrible realization. Homura was part of the team now, one of them. And what had she said that day in the Lair, just after taking the Demon into herself? What vision had washed over her, taken over her being, just as the vision of great danger had overtaken her on the way there? She remembered it now: _"One of us is going to die._" _No,_ she thought, crumpling to the forest floor, breaking down. _No. I should have remembered sooner, I could have _stopped_ this, I-_

Homura spoke again, nodding to each of them. "Thank you all. I'm glad… that I knew you. Even if it wasn't for long, I'm glad. Kagami has a precious gift... in each of you. You're each a part of her Heart… Now, if you could please do one more thing..."

This time it was Konata's turn to answer. She steeled herself, refusing to cry until safely out of earshot. "Anything."

"I'd like…" Homura shuddered, then lay still. "I'd like… to have a little while alone with Kagami. Just a few minutes."

Konata bit her lip and nodded, putting her arms around her friends. Tsukasa was inconsolable, almost unable to walk… the smaller girl bent down and readjusted her hold to support her. This was it. One last chance, one last chance to… to say what? A joke, a one-liner, an anime quote? All of those optioned seemed so terribly hollow… but she had to say _something_. This was the person who had not only helped save her life, but had helped fulfill her impossible dream, the dream she had kept tucked in the back of her mind since she was a child… to become something more than just a tiny, ordinary girl with a passion for games and anime. To be _bigger_. Stronger. More mature. A hero, like the kind she idolized. How could she find the words to express her gratitude for such a thing? The moment to speak was slipping away, so she simply said, "Thank you, Homura. For everything." She gave the Puella Magi a small nod, then turned with her friends and led them away.

Now it was just Homura, Kagami, and Kyubey by their feet. The Incubator was still confused; on some level, he understood Homura's desire to keep her partner from suffering, but why would anyone deny themselves a chance to keep on living? Moreover, to keep living with the person they claimed to love? It made no sense, no sense at all. Obviously, the right course of action was any that would prevent Homura's death or fading. That outcome had to be avoided at all costs. He had to know… _Homura_, he said, to her alone. _You can't leave. The time isn't right._

She chuckled once, just slightly, and thought back at him. _You're giving _me_ orders, Incubator…?_

_My apologies, that was impertinent. However, the point stands. Neither Kagami nor the other Stars wish you to go. Kagami has already expressed a desire to save you by any means necessary. It's only you who seems willing to let your existence end. It makes no sense._

_Sometimes humans don't make sense, Kyubey._

_Interesting…_

_What?_

_I believe that's the first time I've ever heard you refer to yourself as 'human'. Are your mental functions impaired?_

There was a long pause. _No, in fact. It's strange. For some reason… I feel like I'm thinking clearer than ever._

_Regardless. It's imperative that you stay. You are the only Puella Magi in this plane. Without you, I cannot continue the cycle._

_It's the end of the cycle, Kyubey. We managed to extend it for a while, but… there's a new one starting. You're part of Kagami's world now._

_Homura, this is insanity. I implore you, end this irrational behavior and allow Kagami to make a wish to restore you. You must continue to exist._

_Really, Kyubey? And why is that? You don't care about Kagami's emotional state unless it affects multiversal stability. It can't be for the sake of the mission; the mission is over. There's no benefit, no rational reason for you to insist that I stay. I'm just another magical girl to you, there will be others. So why do you insist that I stay?_

_I… _Now it was his turn to pause. _I can't answer that question. I apologize, my neural functions may be experiencing irregularities. This is the second time tonight; perhaps I should run another diagnostic._

Homura leaned back against the tree and closed her eyes. For some reason, she was smiling. _I suppose, in an odd way... I'll miss you._

Kyubey remained silent for such a long time that she wondered if he had heard that statement at all, but then… _You are, without question, the most irregular, inexplicable, irrational Puella Magi I have ever known, Homura Akemi. The universe will be far less interesting in your absence._

Homura almost laughed aloud. _Thank you. Now, if you please… I want to speak to Kagami privately._

_As you wish._ Kyubey turned and swished his tail. Something made him look back, meeting her eyes with his own one more time. Not for the first time, he wondered what secrets those eyes still held… he supposed that now he would never know. It was unfortunate. _Goodbye, Homura._

_Goodbye, Kyubey._

The Incubator melted silently into the night.

* * *

><p>Alone. Holding each other in the moonlight, under a blanket of stars. Every time Kagami thought she couldn't cry any more, that she was too exhausted to express any more grief… it would bubble up anew from inside her, a fountain of misery. Damn it. This wasn't <em>fair.<em> What kind of sick, sadistic universe would do this to her, to _them_? It wasn't fair. It wasn't… "Homura," she said. "You're still here, right?"

"I'm here."

"You've been quiet for a long time."

"I've been thinking."

"What about?"

Homura looked up at the sky, the starlight catching in her eyes. "… I'm scared."

"I'm here," said Kagami softly, holding her tighter to herself. "I'm here."

"I'm scared, Kagami." A shiver ran the length of her spine, like a trickle of ice water down her back. "I've believed for so long that when my time came… _she_ would be there. We would be together again, in… in wherever she is." She looked down at her Soul Gem sitting in her lap, watched its light fading as the cracks spread inexorably through it. "But… she appears to Puellae Magi whose Soul Gems are corrupt." Another shiver her prompted her to lean closer to Kagami. "When they break… I don't know what happens. I don't know if she will come or not, or if there's a place I'll go, or if there's just… _nothing_."

"Shhh." Kagami kissed her cheek. The taste of her skin was sharp and bitter from her tears. "It's all right. _She_ knows…" Her voice got caught in her throat for a moment. "… h-how much she means to you. I-if there's anybody, anywhere, who she would come for… it's you."

"Do… do you think it will be long…?"

A long pause. "I don't know."

Silence.

"Kagami…"

"Hmm?"

"You know I love you. I love you so much…"

"Y-yeah. I know. I love you too."

"… but I also love _her_. And for the longest time… I thought I was betraying her memory, her sacrifice, by loving you…"

"Yeah."

"I was wrong. And I'm sorry for that."

"It's okay."

Silence.

"Kagami?"

"What is it?"

"Your watch…"

Kagami burst into tears all over again. "It… I lost… I lost it… I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Homura. I lost it inside… back there…"

"It's all right. It's all right." Homura patted her back, letting her cry it out.

When she finally regained control of herself, she rubbed her eyes and leaned her head on Homura's shoulder, clasping her hand. She never wanted to let go.

Another long silence.

Then…

A sharp intake of breath, and Homura's hold on Kagami tightened.

Kagami followed her gaze… and saw nothing, felt nothing, except for the smallest breeze… "Homura…?"

Soundless tears rolled down the Puella Magi's cheeks. She was captivated by someone or something Kagami couldn't see. Her face… her face shone with so many powerful feelings at once, more feelings than one person should have: joy, sorrow, longing, fear, anticipation, awe, and so many more…

Again Kagami tried to see, but there was nothing there… "Homura? Is it-"

Homura nodded. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She tried again, smiling, her voice hushed… "_Madoka._"

Conflicting emotions whirled inside Kagami. Happiness: that Homura was finally reunited with the one she gave so much to protect. Grief: that since _she_ was here, her time with her lover was nearing its end. Anger: that she, with all her power, would come not to heal Homura, but take her away. A yearning, wild desire to throw herself onto Homura and beg the Goddess to spare her boiled up within Kagami… she almost moved to do it, damn the Goddess, damn Soul Gems, damn everything, but… but she had never seen Homura look this way before, so stricken, so reverent… She swallowed again, forced words past the hard knot in her throat. "Wh… what do you see? D-describe her to me."

It took a while for Homura to answer. "She's… she's just as I first saw her. Strong. Gentle." Her cheeks flushed with color. "Beautiful… She's wearing a pink dress. Red bows in her hair. And she's smiling… at both of us… she's…" What words could possibly express it? She wanted Kagami to know everything she saw, everything she felt, but mere words seemed woefully inadequate… "… like an angel," she finished. It wasn't a perfect description, but…

_Angel._ Kagami's eyes widened. The word had been stuck somewhere in the back of her mind all night, but she couldn't figure out why… until now. The dream, the dream from months ago, in which she stood over a great canyon, with a figure of impossible beauty and grace at her side. She had been there, waiting for something… waiting for someone. "Homura," she said slowly. "I… I know what she looks like. I've… I've seen her… in a dream… she was different there, but…"

Homura drew in another breath. "She's… she's nodding. Kagami…"

Calm. She had to stay calm, for Homura's sake. "I'm here."

And Homura spoke to the Goddess that Kagami couldn't see, the friend she had been apart from for so long… "Madoka… I'm sorry. I know… it's been a long time… you know how long I've wanted to see you again, but… I need you to wait. Just a little longer. Please…"

Silence. Kagami whispered hesitantly. "What's she doing?"

Homura turned her head, following the Goddess to a new position. "She's… she's sitting. By my side, right next to me. Nodding. Her hand… it's…"

Somehow, Kagami knew. She took Homura's hand, the one she held tightly in her own, and placed it atop her Soul Gem, then hers atop Homura's. "Like this?"

Shaking, Homura nodded.

And for the faintest, briefest instant… Kagami felt something. Something almost like another hand, covered in a fine silk glove.

Homura exchanged a silent glace with the Goddess on her right, then turned to Kagami once more. "Before… before I go… I have something for you."

Kagami waited, holding her breath.

"I… I want you to have these. To make up for the watch." And Homura reached up with her free hand to untie the red satin ribbon from her hair. Gently she laid it atop Kagami's wrist. Then, trembling, she reached into her collar… and withdrew the second ribbon, the only thing she had retrieved from her shield before she sacrificed it. The ribbon that had stayed safely tucked away ever since that night long ago, just in case anything happened to the first.

Guilt swelled up inside Kagami as Homura placed the second ribbon atop the first. "H-Homura, I _can't_. These… these are yours, she gave them to you…"

"And I'm giving them to you," whispered Homura. "So that you'll always remember... that you're not alone. I love you, and I'm… I'm at your side. Even if you can't see me, even if you can't hear me. I'll be watching… along with Madoka. Forever."

"Homura…" There was nothing else to say.

So she sat with Homura and Madoka, hand on hand on hand.

It was enough.

A sigh escaped the Puella Magi, and she shuddered. Then she smiled… the most beautiful smile Kagami had ever seen. She looked at both her loved ones, and said softly, "Thank you both. I don't think… I've ever been… so happy."

On a warm summer night in late July, on the grounds of what had once been Hikawa Shrine, Homura Akemi faded away, still wearing that beautiful smile, at peace at last.

* * *

><p><strong>EPILOGUE<strong>

**TOKYO METROPOLITAN KIYOSE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL**

**SIX MONTHS LATER**

"_And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me_

_Shine on 'til tomorrow, let it be…_

_I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me_

_There will be no sorrow, let it be…_

_Let it be_

_Let it be_

_Let it be, yeah, let it be_

_There will be no sorrow, let it be…_

_Let it be_

_Let it be_

_Let it be, yeah, let it be_

_Whisper words of wisdom, let it be…"_

"Excuse me… are you Kagami Hiiragi?"

Kagami pressed the stop button on her phone to shut off the music. She never liked stopping a song before the final chords played, especially not the Beatles, but this was important. As she removed her ear buds, she smiled up at the nurse. "Yes, that's me." She gently nudged Tsukasa on the bench next to her, who sputtered and emerged slowly from an impromptu nap. Poor Tsukasa… they had been waiting here for quite some time… no wonder she had dozed off. It was a good thing she hadn't started drooling into the bouquet. "And this is my sister, Tsukasa."

Tsukasa smiled blearily and adjusted the flowers. "Good evening. Nice to meet you."

The nurse bowed, and they bowed back as they rose from the bench. "I'm Nurse Takeuchi, I help run things on this ward. I must say, I'm a little surprised… This is quite unexpected."

"Yes, well, we're… we're kind of here on a charity mission from Takanomiya Shrine," said Kagami. "It's a little difficult to explain."

Tsukasa nodded.

"Well, we're very happy to have you." She beamed at them and led them down the hall. "The poor child doesn't get many visitors at all…"

"That's so sad…" Tsukasa's face fell.

Nurse Takeuchi nodded. "She's in long-term care. This is the only place she has… No parents, no other family… we try to socialize her with the other patients, but… it hasn't worked very well."

As they stopped in front of the door labeled 430A, Kagami steeled herself. Butterflies whirled in her stomach… this was it. Now or never. "Well, we'll see what we can do."

The door swung open. The room's lone occupant was a very small, pale girl, roughly seven years old, with long black hair tied in braids and a pair of red-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of her nose. She took little notice of them as they came in…

"Homura-chan?" said the nurse gently.

Kagami's heart leaped…

The girl turned and smiled weakly at them, adjusting her glasses. Violet eyes gleamed behind the thick lenses. "Good evening, Nao-san." Then she blinked at the two new faces. "Eh? Who's this?"

Waving the sisters over, Nurse Takeuchi attended to the girl's IV and beside monitors as she introduced them. "Homura-chan, these are the Hiiragi sisters. They came all the way from Takanomiya to see you. Isn't that nice?"

Homura blushed and fidgeted with her blankets. "N-nice to meet you, Hiiragi-san… Hiiragi-san."

"You can sit down, if you like," said the nurse. "I'll be out of your way in a few minutes."

"That's all right, take your time." Kagami sat at the side of the bed. Calm, she had to stay calm. "H-hello, Homura-chan. It's nice to meet you too. We're… we're doing some charity work for our shrine, and we thought you might like some company..."

That was a lie, this was no random visit. It took months of searching, through conventional means and Miyuki's magic, to track down one little girl at one particular hospital. Months of disappointments and dead ends. But now, all of it was worth it.

"Th-that's very nice of you, Hiiragi-san," muttered the little girl, clearly embarrassed by this level of attention.

"Kagami," she said, smiling as warmly as she could, holding back tears. "You can call me Kagami. And this is my sister, Tsukasa..."

Tsukasa stepped forward. She had hidden the bouquet behind her back… now she presented it with a flourish, rather like a magician would. "We brought these for you, Ake- Homura-chan."

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers as she took the flowers. "I… th-thank you so much… I've never…" Bringing the closest blossom to her nose, she took a breath. "How… how did you know I liked lilacs…?"

Tsukasa giggled.

Kagami gave the girl a mischievous wink. "Magic," she said.

At the other side of the bed, Nurse Takeuchi finished her check-up. "That should do for a while, Homura-chan. Press the call button if you need me for anything, all right? That goes for the both of you, too," she said to the Hiiragis. "I'll be back to check on you later." With a bow, she took her leave.

Kagami waited until she heard her footsteps recede down the hall, then she leaned close to the small girl. "Homura-chan, we… we thought you might like it if we all said prayers together. You know, so you'll get better."

"Th-that's… that's r-really nice of you, Kagami-onee-san, but…" Homura's face fell as she twisted her sheets into knots. "... but th-there's not that much you can do, even if you p-pray. I… I can't have the surgery I need until I get better… and bigger…"

Her heart aching with sympathy, Kagami reached for her hand. "We'll pray anyway, okay? We don't even have to say anything out loud. Just… talk with your heart. Pray with all your might that you'll get better, and if you have faith and believe hard enough…" Kagami trembled. "... I promise that God will hear you up in Heaven."

"You really think so?"

Tsukasa smiled gently. How like her mother she was becoming… "We're miko, prayers are what we do." She came closer to the bed…

Carefully, so that the little girl wouldn't see, Kagami nodded at her sister.

Tsukasa placed her hand on Homura's shoulder.

"Now," said Kagami. "Close your eyes, as tight as you can, and hold on to my hand…"

Her pulse quickened as the tiny fingers clutched her own. Again she nodded to Tsukasa…

Tsukasa took a deep breath and concentrated. Her hand began to glow with a soft, warm light as she applied her unique magic, absorbing the sickness that plagued the girl's body into the golden ring on her third finger. The heart set inside the onyx star-shaped jewel beat steadily…

"God in Heaven…" said Kagami. She had to stop for a moment, there was a hard lump in her throat. "Please watch over Homura-chan, and help her to feel better. Keep her safe, so that she'll… she'll always be happy…"

Homura's features scrunched up tight. She held on to Kagami's fingers so hard that the older girl could faintly feel her heartbeat, fluttering like a baby bird's…

This time, Tsukasa nodded, shuddering slightly as the pain she had absorbed was released. It was done.

Cracking open one eye, Homura looked at each of them. "Do you think He heard me?"

"I'm sure He did," said Kagami, wiping a stray tear from her eye. "I'm sure He did."

"Thank you, Kagami-nee-san, Tsukasa-nee-san!" The little girl beamed at them both, with such a beautiful smile… then she cocked her head to one side. "Kagami-nee-san… those ribbons are really pretty. Where did you get them from?"

"A special friend gave them to me," said Kagami, reaching up to touch one of the red satin ribbons with her free hand. "She… she's gone now, but she's still here with me, in my heart… I'll always remember her."

A small hand patted hers. "I'll remember you too, _nee-chan_."

"Thank you, Homura-chan."

"Will you... stay with me, for a little while?"

"Of course."

So they did.

All too soon, the nurse returned, announcing that Homura needed her rest. As the sisters got up to leave, she called out to them…

"You know… it's funny. I've never had visitors before, just the doctors and nurses. But…" She paused, searching for the right words. "... for some reason, it's almost like I've seen you somewhere before. Do… do I know you?"

Kagami's hands clenched at her sides, just once. For the last time, she turned back and smiled at the girl. "No," she said, "you don't."

* * *

><p>This was how it had to be: one visit, and one visit only.<p>

It made sense. There was a Kagami Hiiragi in Homura's world… it was only logical that there was a Homura Akemi in Kagami's. But not the same. Not _her_ Homura. Her Homura was gone, and she couldn't afford to think of the other, younger Homura as the one she loved. However, she could still give this echo of Homura something, a special gift…

It took the efforts of all four working together, but they found her. Once they tracked her down, they had carefully crafted the spell to heal her sickness and restore Homura's body… but also to disguise itself, to work slowly. She could never know that her two visitors were the reason she would eventually recover and grow healthy. That was Kagami's gift to her: a normal life… or as normal as possible, given the circumstances.

Because there were still monsters out there, after all…

And there were still magical girls to fight them.

Konata came running as they pushed through the hospital doors, waving her hand wildly, Miyuki close behind. A familiar white creature, something like a cat and something like a rabbit, perched on her shoulder, watching them with round red eyes. "Hey, Kagamin! Tsukasa!" she shouted, cat-smiling at them in full force. "Did it work? Did you pull it off?"

Tsukasa nodded. "It worked."

"And they'll really never know it was us?" asked Miyuki, adjusting her glasses.

"They shouldn't," said Kagami. "We've got too much publicity already… it's hard enough keeping a low profile as is."

It was true. Six months after the Hikawa Shrine Anomaly, as it came to be called, word had spread like wildfire of the Stars Above, magical girls that seemed to have sprung from the pages of a manga into real life. Tales abounded in the streets, on the news, and in school hallways: of strange, vaguely humanoid creatures in white robes, prone to appearing to those in misery or despair. They came out only at night, in the cover of darkness… but when the night fell, that was when the Stars would appear, protecting those in need from the Demons and vanishing without a trace when their missions were complete. At first it had been difficult, trying to stem the tide of Demons with only the four of them, but then…

"So," said Konata as they crossed the parking lot, "I just got a call from Yu-chan. It's official."

"You're kidding." Kagami stared at her diminutive friend. "Yutaka? _Your_ cousin?! Who is she partnered with?"

It was Miyuki who answered. "Minami, of course. Those two are inseperable."

Tsukasa giggled. She fell into step beside Miyuki… In the last month or so, she had hesitantly taken to holding her hand when they were alone. It wasn't much, but… "So what are they calling themselves?"

"I told them Star Pink was already taken, so she said they're probably gonna be Star Rose and Star Mint," said Konata, putting her hands behind her head. "I know, I know, there's already a _Cure_ Mint, but mint's a color too, so it works. I'll bet Hiyori-chan can't wait to draw them in costume…"

Kagami groaned and rolled her eyes. "Tell me she's not still writing those doujinshi about us…"

"Kagamin, please. You couldn't stop her if you _tried._ And she and Patty-chan are getting ideas all the time from their patrols…"

"Wait," said Kagami, coming to a halt. "_Them?!_ You never told me _they_ were-"

"Didn't I? Yeah, for at least a few weeks now. You should have seen Patty-chan when she found out… she called dibs on the name Star Red before I could finish my sentence. I think she and Hiyori actually had a fight over it, but then Hiyori settled on Star Crimson, so it worked out in the end. You totally need to see Hiyori's magic sometime, she's got this giant paintbrush..."

"Did you tell Patty that there's already at least five Star Reds in Chiba?"

"Nah, let them have their fun. It's not like we usually go to Chiba anyway, right?"

Kagami shook her head. "We've created a monster. Misao wanted that same name when she and Ayano started going out together. I thought she was gonna cry until she found out Star Gold wasn't taken."

Now it was Tsukasa's turn to stop and stare. "_They're _Star Gold and Star Silver?! I heard someone talking about them in class the other day, I had no idea!"

Miyuki frowned. "We really should try to organize, to find out who is one of us and who isn't, and what our patrol routes are, to avoid confusion…"

"Yeah, probably."

"Look…" said Tsukasa, pointing upward.

Kagami followed her finger, to see the first pinpricks of light standing out in the evening sky. That meant that it was almost time… time for the Stars Above to appear and make their rounds. She drew her coat tighter around herself, touched one of the ribbons in her hair, and shivered.

It was hard, sometimes harder than she could bear. There were still nights she went to bed crying, or woke up swearing that she could smell the scent of lilacs. There were nights when Homura would appear in her dreams, reaching for her with a smile… only to fade away when the morning came.

But Kagami believed.

She believed that Homura still waited for her, somewhere beyond the stars, watching over her, ensuring that she was never truly alone. She was in her mind, and in her Heart, always and forever. And someday, when her mission was over… they would see each other again.

It was enough.

Kyubey hopped onto her shoulder, tilting his head quizzically. _Kagami, are you all right?_

She closed her eyes. "Not really. But I'm ready anyway."

A warm hand settled on her other shoulder as Tsukasa hung back to support her, as she always did. A thin veil of mist swirled in her eyes, as her gaze focused on someplace far away. Another part of Tsukasa's power, visions of what was to come... "Shinjuku," she said. "That's where we're going next."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. Let's do our best, _onee-chan_."

Kagami nodded and took a steadying breath.

The four friends took off, racing to meet the night, and whatever lay ahead.

_No matter who you are, and no matter where_

_you wander, within the darkness or within the light,_

_in fields of wildflowers or in the deserts bare,_

_Remember the love of the ones who have gone on_

_beyond this pale and flimsy mortal coil of ours…_

_True love is forever, certain as the break of dawn,_

_Always shining, brighter than the brightest of stars…_

**THE END**


End file.
